The Detroit Tigers are one of the most storied franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB). The team, based in Detroit, Michigan, was first established in 1894. It was officially brought to the MLB in 1901, and it was one of the eight teams named a founding team in the American League (AL).

The Detroit Tigers have accumulated four AL Central division championships in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. It has also won eleven AL pennants in 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, and 1945. The team has won four World Series championships in 1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984.

This means that the Detroit Tigers have not won a World Series for over 40 years. However, the team, which has been owned by the same family since 1992, has made recent moves to get back into the playoffs. Chris Ilitch of the Ilitch family recently took over as the primary owner of the Detroit Tigers. Ilitch took over after his father, Mike Ilitch, passed away in 2017.

Since then, Chris Ilitch has made several moves to ensure the Tigers remain competitive in the future. Prior to the 2023 season, Ilitch announced several new upgrades to the team facilities. This includes a revamped clubhouse and facilities at Comerica Park. It also includes a new team-used private jet. The private jet that Ilitch purchased was to be used by both the Detroit Tigers and the other Ilitch-owned franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL), the Detroit Red Wings. Let’s take a closer look at the newly purchased business jet that the Detroit Tigers will use for travel.

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The Tigers’ new aircraft

The aircraft that Ilitch chose to purchase and utilize for both the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings is a Boeing 737-800. This aircraft, which is registered as N313TR, was first manufactured and delivered in late 2008, making the aircraft just under 16 years old. The aircraft has had several owners over the years, beginning with VRG Linhas Aereas in August 2008. However, it was operated by Miami Air International during the 2010s. After Miami Air ceased operations, the aircraft was taken over by Fly 737 800 II LLC. Olympia Aviation began operating this aircraft in February 2024, which is when it began operating for the Detroit sports teams, per ch-aviation.

Miami Air 737 at FLL airport

 Photo Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

According to JetSpy, N313TR has conducted over 50 flights so far this year. So far in 2024, the aircraft has flown over 77 total flight hours. This has accumulated over 62,000 gallons of fuel, which adds up to nearly 600 metric tons of carbon emissions, per JetSpy. The aircraft’s most visited airports are:

  1. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) in Michigan
  2. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in Pennsylvania
  3. Tampa International Airport (TPA) in Florida

Other flights that the aircraft has conducted align with the Detroit Tigers 2024 schedule. For example, on July 4, the aircraft flew from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG). The Tigers concluded a series with the Minneapolis Twins on Thursday, July 4, and then began a series with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, July 5. Other flights show that the aircraft has been utilized by the Detroit franchise, such as the aircraft leaving Long Beach Airport (LGB) after a series with the Los Angeles Angels on June 30.

With the introduction of a new Boeing 737-800 to be used by the Tigers, Olympia Aviation, which operates the new Boeing 737, will most likely retire its previous charter aircraft for the Tigers. Olympia Aviation previously flew an MD-81 for the team, per ch-aviation. The aircraft, registered as N682RW, was first built in 1981. However, the older aircraft has not flown since March, which is when the new Boeing 737 began flying.

About the Boeing 737-800

The new aircraft introduced to the Tigers is part of the Boeing 737 Next Generation family of aircraft. The most popular of the series is the Boeing 737-800. Boeing first introduced the longer variant in September 1994. The narrowbody aircraft was to replace several aircraft in the original Boeing 737 Classic series, as it had better fuel efficiency and was to be much more reliable. It flew for the first time in July 1997 and was delivered shortly after in April 1998. The 737-800 was launched with Hapag-Lloyd Flug, now TUI fly Deutschland, as its launch customer.

TUI Boeing 737 at Norwich Airport TWI

Photo: paulpdh | Shutterstock

The 737-800 was a stretched version of the 737-700, meant to replace the 737-400. The aircraft also successfully filled the gap left when Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas and canceled both the MD-80 and the MD-90. Although the aircraft ceased production in 2020 due to the introduction of the 737 MAX series, nearly 5,000 737-800s have been delivered.

Performance measures of the Boeing 737-800

The 737-800 is powered by two CFM56 series engines. These each provide up to 27,000 pounds of takeoff thrust, depending on the variant. This helps the aircraft reach the following performance measures:

Length

138 feet two inches

Height

41 feet two inches

Wingspan

112 feet seven inches

Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)

174,200 pounds

Range

2,935 nautical miles (3,378 miles)

Cruise speed

455 knots (524 miles per hour)

Service ceiling

41,000 feet

The aircraft is built to hold a maximum of 184 passengers in a closely configured, single-class arrangement. However, in a two-class configuration, the 737-800 can fit as many as 160 total passengers, with 12 first class seating options.

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