The Complicated History of The Trump-Vance Campaign Jet - Crystal Peak

# [The Complicated History of The Trump-Vance Campaign Jet](https://open.substack.com/pub/jann/p/the-complicated-history-of-the-trump?r=o3s9p&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true) > [!EXAMPLE] Research > - [[Boeing 737-86J(WL) - 32917 - 1210]] > - [[Eastern Air Express B738 - N917XA - ACB2BA|N917XA]] > - The New Trump-Vance campaign Boeing 737 when it was in operation with iAero / Swift Airways was used by ICE for deportation flights > - SWQ9917 - https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=acb2ba&lat=37.120&lon=-86.931&zoom=6.0&showTrace=2024-04-14 > - BBQ2024 - https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=acb2ba&lat=37.120&lon=-86.931&zoom=6.0&showTrace=2024-07-14 > - [The “new” Trump-Vance campaign aircraft is a 22 year old Boeing 737-800.](https://x.com/flyinghighryan/status/1813008536231637317?s=12) > - [EASTERN EXPRESS 100 (N917XA Boeing 737-800) painted in Trump campaign colors was not allowed to land at General Mitchell International Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the RNC convention despite having a “password” and had to divert to Madison per TSA/USSS rules.](https://x.com/thenewarea51/status/1814515366707474771?s=12) > [!ABSTRACT]- Rough Draft > > [!MISSING] Insert a Abstract picture of a Boeing 737-800 > > “There’s always an aviation angle” - Someone (probably) > > > [!MIssing] Insert a Link with all the ICAOs > > ## An overview > - > - Type - Boeing 737-800 > > ## Eurpean Origins > > [[Air Berlin]] was founded in [[1979]] as [[Air Berlin|Air Berlin USA]]. As this is before the unification of [[East Germany]] and [[West Germany]] and because the company was [[United States of America|US]]-based, they had access to the main airport of [[West Berlin]], Tegel Airport. [[Air Berlin]] ordered a total of 112 737-800s between 1998 and 2007 however only 84 of those orders were fulfilled. [[Boeing 737-86J(WL) - 32917 - 1210|32917 - 1210]] was delivered to [[Air Berlin]] in September of [[2002]]. > > Initially registered as *[[Air Berlin B738 - D-ABBF - 3C4846|D-ABBF]]* and was configured like the rest of [[Air Berlin]]’s 738 fleet. A 186 seat all economy layout. [[Boeing 737-86J(WL) - 32917 - 1210|32917 - 1210]] flew with [[Air Berlin]] until [[2012]] where it was leased to [[Orenburg Airlines]]. > > ## The [[Russia]] Connection > > Much like [[Donald J. Trump]] himself the jet has loose ties to [[Russia]]. [[Orenburg Airlines]] was technically founded in 1932 as the Orenburg Division of Russia’s [[Aeroflot]] > > ## Casino Express > > ## ICEy Affairs > > ## A nother name for a hilly wood > [[Eastern Air Express|Hillwood Airways]] operated a diverse fleet of aircraft during its lifetime including a BBJ that used to be registered to the [[Department of Defense|DoD]] > - [[Mint Aero B737 Combi BBJ - N737AT - A9E51E|DoD B737 Combi BBJ - N737AT]] > > ## A canceled BBQ > > On the night of the Republican National Convention it seems that there were plans to have [[Eastern Air Express B738 - N917XA - ACB2BA|N917XA]] on the ground at ??? But # The Complicated History of The Trump-Vance Campaign Jet > [!SUMmary] BLUF > A particular [[Boeing 737-800]], registered [[Eastern Air Express B738 - N917XA - ACB2BA|N917XA]] at the time of writing, has a storied and diverse history, having changed hands multiple times before becoming a part of the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign. ## European Origins Our journey begins in [[Germany]] with the carrier [[Air Berlin]]. They were founded in 1979 as [[Air Berlin|Air Berlin USA]] to take advantage of American access to West Berlin's Tegel Airport. By 1990, following German reunification, the airline had transitioned to a fully German carrier and expanded rapidly throughout the 2000s. Air Berlin placed orders for 112 Boeing 737-800s between 1998 and 2007, of which only 84 were delivered. One of these was the aircraft with MSN [[Boeing 737-86J(WL) - 32917 - 1210|32917]], delivered in September 2002 and initially registered as [[Air Berlin B738 - D-ABBF - 3C4846|D-ABBF]]. It was configured like the rest of Air Berlin’s 737-800 fleet, with a 186-seat all-economy layout. Air Berlin was once Germany's second-largest airline, however, aggressive acquisitions would eventually lead to financial difficulties. Despite a strategic investment by [[Etihad Airways]] in 2011, who acquired a majority stake in the struggling airline, Air Berlin (who had a bad habit of investing in or acquiring other airlines) would file for insolvency in August 2017 and cease operations two months later. Years before closing down, in April 2012, Air Berlin had withdrawn D-ABBF from use. In June of 2012 they leased the plane to [[Orenburg Airlines]] or "Orenair," a [[Russia|Russian]] airline. Orenair, was officially founded in 1992 but its origins date back to 1932 as the Orenburg Division of [[Aeroflot]]. It is unclear when the aircraft, re-registered as [[Orenair B738 - VP-BEN - 424296|VP-BEN]], left service with Orenair. However, before the airline re-merged with Aeroflot (which then merged with [[Rossiya Airlines]] in 2016) and ceased operations, the aircraft would be acquired by a charter airline based in the [[United States of America|United States]]. ## Casino Express It’s now May 2015 and the aircraft is re-registered as N917XA under the ownership of [[Avelo Airlines|Xtra Airways]]. Xtra was a charter airline that had rebranded from its former identity as [[Avelo Airlines|Casino Express Airlines]]. Xtra Airways was known for providing charter services to various clients, including sports teams, government agencies, and political campaigns, most notably [[Hillary Clinton]]’s 2016 presidential bid. > Fun Fact Xtra would eventually morph into [[Avelo Airlines]]. During its time with Xtra Airways, N917XA was also leased to [[Corendon Dutch Airlines]] in the summer of 2017. Corendon Dutch, a Turkish airline founded in 2004, had established itself as a major player in the charter and leisure travel market, focusing on flights between Europe and popular holiday destinations in the Mediterranean. ## [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement|ICE]]y Affairs After returning from Europe, the aircraft changed hands again to [[iAero Airways|Swift Air]] in March 2018. Swift Air, another U.S.-based charter airline, would later become iAero Airways. Swift was heavily involved with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) providing flights for the agency’s controversial “deportation airline” known as ICE Air. [[ICE Air]] has been scrutinized for many things including operational inefficiencies and data handling issues. Under Swift Air’s operation, the aircraft was also leased to [[Smartwings]], a Czech low-cost airline, for seasonal operations in 2018 and 2019. By January 2020, it had returned to iAero Airways’, where it continued to serve until its withdrawal earlier this year on April 6, 2024, where it was stored at Piedmont Triad International Airport ([[Piedmont Triad International Airport - KGSO|KGSO]]). By April 14, 2024, iAero had met its demise and its assets became part of [[Eastern Air Express]]. ## Enter Eastern Air Express and The Present Campaign Eastern Air Express was previously known as [[Eastern Air Express|Hillwood Airways]] and is now part of the revived [[Eastern Airlines (2020)|Eastern Airlines]]. While they mostly operated 737s they have kept a unique fleet of aircraft throughout their lifetime. At one point they operated a [[Boeing Business Jet]] or BBJ (this is Boeing talk for a private jet variant of a Boeing commercial airliner) that used to be registered to the [[Department of Defense|DoD]] - [[Mint Aero B737 Combi BBJ - N737AT - A9E51E|DoD B737 Combi BBJ - N737AT]]. That particular BBJ is fitted with a large cargo door located on the aircraft's main deck. It is one of the only BBJs equipped with this option. In April 2024, N917XA was moved to Kansas City International Airport ([[Kansas City International Airport - MCI - KMCI|KMCI]]) where it was repainted in the Trump-Vance 2024 campaign colors. After being completed a member of the campaign staff tweeted a photo of the jet outside of some hangars. At the time many unfamiliar with the world of aviation began to speculate that [[Trump B752(ER) - N757AF - AA3410|Trump Force One]] had been repurposed for by the campaign. I say “those unfamiliar with the world of aviation” because Trump Force One is a [[Boeing 757]] and the plane in question (as you now know) is a [[Boeing 737|737]]. While researching for this article I read a report that N917XA was now owned by Trump and cost him $100m, neither of which is true. The jet is still owned by Eastern, specifically Eastern 737 Asset Holding LLC, an LLC that seems to have been set up solely to hold Eastern Express' fleet of 737s. The real cost of the plane (which is mostly irrelevant because the plane is chartered) is more likely to be closer to $20m. The exact worth and operational costs of the aircraft are points of contention. Additionally, its current configuration remains a subject of speculation with online records showing it to be in a non-VIP setup. What is clear is that the Boeing 737-800, now dressed in the guise of the Trump-Vance campaign, is not just a mere private jet but a commercial airliner with a rich history. ## Closing Thoughts From its beginnings with Air Berlin to its current role in the U.S. political arena, this Boeing 737-800 is now poised to play an often-overlooked role in the 2024 presidential election. Like most of the aircraft I gravitate towards this jet tells a story beyond its fairly mundane function. As it flies the candidates across the United States, it carries on its wings decades of aviation history and the countless stories of those who have traveled (willingly or unwillingly) within its cabin. --- ## Workspace - Questions - - Theories - - Related Topics - - Potential Related Topics - - Potential Areas of Application - --- ## Sources 1. [[N917XA EASTERN AIR EXPRESS BOEING 737-86J(WL) - Planespotters - Research Notes]] 2. [[What Happened To Air Berlin's Boeing 737-800s? - Research Notes]] 3. [[What Happened To Air Berlin's Boeing 737-800s? - Research Notes]] 4. [[Orenair - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 5. [[Avelo Airlines - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 6. [[Corendon Dutch Airlines - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 7. [[iAero Airways - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 8. [[Smartwings - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 9. [[Eastern Air Express - Wikipedia - Research Notes]] 10. [[ICE Air flew more than 32k immigrants out of Mesa in less than 10 months - Research Notes]] 11. [[The Story And Millions Behind Trump VP J.D. Vance’s Private Jet - Research Notes]] 12. [[Donald Trump debuts flashy new $100m private jet with JD Vance's name one hour after VP announcement - Research Notes]] --- ## Reference Created - [[2024-07-17]] Index - [[]] Uses - [[]] Last Edited - []