The Crazy World Of Presidential Jets And Royal Transport

When it comes to traveling in style, few do it better than global leaders. With the need to travel comfortably, productively, and safely – and the sizable national budgets to make this happen – many leaders have some amazing aircraft. This article takes a look at some of the best currently in the air, along with a few others that deserve a mention.

A quick history of presidential travel

Presidential and head-of-state air travel was relatively rare before the Second World War. According to a historical article in the New York Times, the first leader to get airborne was King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who flew when visiting Belgium in 1910.

The first to use aircraft for official travel was likely the UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who regularly flew over the channel in British-made Airco DH.4 biplanes from 1919. The British were also the first to introduce dedicated VIP aircraft. Two aircraft were taken on by the RAF for Royal and government service in 1928, becoming known as the King’s Flight from 1936.

In the US, Franklin Roosevelt became the first serving President to use an aircraft on official state business (according to the National Museum of the US Air Force). He flew to Morocco in 1943 on a Pan American World Airways crewed Boeing 314. The first dedicated aircraft to carry the President was a modified Douglas C-54 Skymaster, nicknamed the “Sacred Cow.” Franklin Roosevelt used this in 1945 to attend the Yalta Conference in the Soviet Union for discussions regarding the postwar situation in Europe.

The United States ‘Air Force One’

The US President’s transport needs no introduction. Without a doubt, it is the most recognized and well-known among all VIP aircraft. It is also one of the best-equipped and most expensive, a suitable start to our review.

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The current main aircraft used are variants of the Boeing 747-200, known as VC25A. These iconic blue and white aircraft were introduced in 1990. These are officially named SAM (Special Air Mission) 28000 and SAM 29000.

Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock

First Lady Nancy Reagan designed the interiors, apparently to recall her native US Southwest home. It is a true White House in the sky, with sleeping and working space for the Presidential family, a conference room, working and meeting areas for staff, and a press section.

There are plenty of features that a normal 747 does not have. It has defense countermeasures to disrupt heat-seeking missiles, technology to jam radar, and extensive communications facilities. It can also be refueled mid-flight.

The US will soon have a new and improved Air Force One. The current VC25A aircraft are being replaced by 747-8I aircraft. These are currently undergoing extensive refits using two airframes ordered by failed Russian airline Transaero.

Saudi Arabia – Prince Al Waleed’s luxurious 747

For opulence and price, the top place has to go to Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed’s extremely lavish Boeing 747. This was purchased in 2003, at a cost of $485 million (for comparison, the US VC25A aircraft cost $325 million each).

Photo: Rebius | Shutterstock

It has been refitted to match his palatial home. This is less about offices and meeting space and more about relaxation and opulence. There are luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms, a dining area for 14 people, extensive lounge areas, and a large throne for the Prince. There is plenty of gold trim decoration and even a large chandelier.

But even the best aircraft need an upgrade eventually, and this came close with interest for a private A380 in 2007. According to reporting by Forbes, the Prince negotiated the list price down by 50%, but the financial crisis of 2008-2009 ended his hopes.

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It would have been even more extravagant, though. Reported plans for the interior include a lift to the Prince’s private suite, a Hamman bath area, a rotating prayer space that could turn to face Mecca, and, naturally, a parking garage for a Rolls-Royce.

Brunei – The Sultan of Brunei’s A340 plus others

Sticking with opulence, the Sultan of Brunei owns a whole fleet of aircraft for his travels. Until fairly recently, the most frequently used was an A340-200, used by the Sultan for long-haul travel.

This was delivered in 1994 and retired in 2018 – inside it is fitted out with bedrooms, showers, and dining areas. You can see inside in this rare clip from Brunei television:

The family went after another A340 in 2008. A unique A340-8000 was destined for the Sultan’s brother, but this has never happened, and it eventually found a home with the Saudi Arabian Royal Fleet. It was derived from the A340-200 but fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks to increase the range to 14,800 kilometers (enough for a direct flight from Brunei to the USA or Europe).

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There are quite a few choices other than the legendary Boeing 747.

The most recent additions to the fleet are a 747-8I aircraft, added in 2016, and a 787 aircraft in 2019. These have been seen in operation, but little is known about their interior. Unique among leaders, the Sultan is also a qualified pilot. He can (and does) fly the A340, 747, other aircraft in his fleet, and occasionally even commercial flights with Royal Brunei Airlines.

Russia – Ilyushin Il-96

The Russian President uses a customized Ilyushin aircraft, the Il-96, which is much newer than the US’s 747s. The latest was delivered in 2013 – in fact, there are four identical Il-96 aircraft, often all flying together to disguise which aircraft the President is onboard.

Much of the interior design and fittings are kept secret. But what we have seen is very luxurious – there are fur rugs and Russian tapestries, and paintings on the walls. The President has a bedroom with a king-sized bed, a bathroom with bidet and gold trimming, and even a gym.

It is also technically well-equipped with a full communications suite and air defense countermeasures. There is also reportedly some form of escape pod.

Germany – A350-900s replaced its older A340s

Germany arguably maintains the best presidential aircraft fleet of any European nation. In 2020, one of three new flagship A350-900s arrived in the government fleet to replace its previous aircraft, two VIP-configured A340s. Interestingly, these are the first A350 aircraft to be used in non-commercial service.

The first aircraft was delivered with a temporary cabin to get it into service quicker, but the next two airframes were fully fitted out with office space, cabins, and seating before the first one was retrofitted.

The previous aircraft, known as Konrad Adenauer, is certainly impressive. It features bedrooms, offices, and lounges. It even apparently boasted a soundproof room and, of course, missile defense and extensive communications features.

Hopefully, the new A350 fleet will maintain a more reliable track record. In a well-publicized incident in 2018, Merkel arrived late for a G20 summit in Buenos Aires after Konrad Adenauer developed technical problems, forcing the German head of state to travel onboard a commercial flight with Iberia.

France – A330-200

The French presidential fleet’s primary VIP transport is the A330-200. The type was introduced in 2011 and converted from previous passenger use by Swissair. It takes the callsign COTAM 001 when in official use – like many other presidential aircraft, it is designed both as a transport and operational center, fitted out with full communications facilities.

There is a bedroom and office space for the President, a large soundproofed meeting area, and a series of business class and economy class seating. This video from French media gives a great peek inside:

India – ‘Air India One’ Boeing 777-300ER

Along with Germany, India boasts some of the newest presidential aircraft. In October 2020, it received the first of two dedicated 777-300ER aircraft. Before that, 747-400s from Air India were used for presidential travel.

These 777s previously served with Air India and have been undergoing refit in the US since 2018. While details about the interior and onboard features are scarce, we know they feature a range of technical improvements, including a Special Protection Suite capable of jamming enemy radar frequencies, diverting heat-seeking missiles, and intercepting missile systems without any crew intervention.

Japan – Japanese Air Force One and Two

We don’t hear a great deal about Japan’s VIP transport, which shares several similarities with the US president’s Air Force One. It uses two aircraft for both the Prime Minister and the Japanese Imperial family, using the callsigns ‘Japanese Air Force One’ and ‘Japanese Air Force Two.’

The first two aircraft used were modified 747-400 aircraft, ordered in 1987 and entering service in 1991. Boeing assembled these at the same time as the US 747s, but these are based on the 747-400, whereas the US chose to modify the 747-200.

The Japanese presidential jets were fitted out with a VIP cabin at the front of the lower deck, followed by seating and office space. Both the rear cabin and the upper deck were fitted with close to standard seating. This allowed dual-usage of the aircraft for overseas evacuation or troop deployment missions.

The 747s were replaced by two 777-300 aircraft in 2018. These only started service in mid-2019, and we have yet to see details of their fitting. We know from Japanese media that they contain private cabins and office space, as well as 21 business class-style seats and 85 economy seats.

After the 747s were decommissioned, the interiors were shown to the media (and one of the main cabins went on museum display). You can see them in this great video from Japanese TV.

The UK Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family are looked after by the Royal Air Force’s 32nd squadron. The main VIP aircraft is a converted Airbus A330 MRTT, known as the RAF Voyager. When not in use for VIP travel, this serves as an air refueller for the Royal Air Force.

Photo: Peter R Foster IDMA | Shutterstock

It is much less overwhelming than other leaders’ transports. There are no luxurious cabins or extensive office space. Instead, there is simply a series of standard cabins with 58 business class-style seats and 100 in economy.

It raised some controversy in 2020 when it received a new $1m paint job. Known at the time as ‘Boris Force One’ after then-incumbent Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the A330 was repainted from standard military gray into red, white, and blue UK colors.

North Korea – one of the oldest Presidential aircraft

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, travels on one of two Russian-built Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft. These are dedicated and fitted out for VIP travel but operated by Air Koryo. It takes the callsign Chammae-1 when the leader is onboard.

It has been in service for over four decades, making it not only the oldest aircraft in presidential use, but one of the oldest passenger-carrying jets still flying anywhere worldwide. It is far from certain how much use it has had, though. The Kim family has rarely traveled far, and previous leaders have preferred train travel to aircraft.

And even when it does fly, the leader may not be onboard. The Telegraph discussed its use when Kim Jong-un visited Singapore in 2018 for a summit with Donald Trump, noting that it may just have been used as a decoy whilst he flew on an Air China 747.