Staffers from the Trump-Vance campaign unveiled a new aircraft featuring branding for the 2024 Republican Presidential ticket on Monday, following the announcement of Trump’s vice presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. The aircraft, different from Trump’s personal Boeing 757-200, is a 22-year-old 737 owned and operated by Eastern Air Express. The aircraft’s appearance was noted by various sources, including a tweet from Jack Sweeney, known for tracking celebrity and politician jets, who identified it as N917XA.
The plane pictured is indeed not Trump Force one but a 737 for Vance. Looking for the tail number. https://t.co/dE4ogO6iMw pic.twitter.com/ZqCmMprb6r
— Jack Sweeney (@Jxck_Sweeney) July 15, 2024
The jet’s unveiling came shortly after Trump’s announcement of Vance as his running mate.
N917XA was first delivered to Germany’s airBerlin in 1999 before later operating for charter company iAero. Earlier this year, iAero announced it would cease operations following a bankruptcy filing.
The aircraft is among a handful of 737s acquired by Eastern Air Express, which was rebranded under the Kansas City-based Eastern Airlines in 2023 following the acquisition of Hillwood Airways.
Campaign aircraft have a long-standing history of serving as backdrops for iconic moments on the trail. Both Obama and Bush used Boeing 757-200s for their campaigns. John McCain had a 737-400 dubbed the ‘Straight Talk Express.’
Mitt Romney bucked the Boeing trend, instead using a McDonnell Douglas MD-83.
In 2016, the Trump-Pence campaign also used an Eastern Airlines Boeing 737. Even with the 737 addition, Trump is still expected to use his own 757 on the trail.
