Wing of Zion
| Wing of Zion | |
|---|---|
| |
| 4X-ISR at Ben Gurion Airport | |
| Other name(s) | Israeli Air Force 1 |
| Type | Boeing 767-338ER |
| Construction number | msn 30186 (Line number 796) |
| Registration | 4X-ISR (previously N376CM and VH-OGV) |
| Radio code | Israeli Air Force 1 |
| First flight | 3 November 2019 (after conversion) |
| Owners and operators | Israel Air Force (previously Australian Airlines and Qantas) |
Wing of Zion (Hebrew: כנף ציון, Knaf Tzion) is the official aircraft of the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the State of Israel, at their service during their official visits outside the Israeli borders (in roughly 10 flights a year).[1] It is a Boeing 767-338ER passenger aircraft, which formerly belonged to Australian Airlines and Qantas and was, at the time of its purchase by Israel, about 20 years old.[2] The aircraft is still in a process of improvement in Israel and is not yet operational. On November 3, 2019, the aircraft conducted its first test flight.[2]
The original budget for its purchase, conversion and upgrade was 393 million shekels ($115 million), which by the time it first flew had grown by 50 percent to 580 million shekels. Operating the plane is expected to cost taxpayers 44.6 million shekels annually. Buying a dedicated plane was criticized – especially after it vastly exceeded the original budget – and its inauguration was postponed several times. In 2020 it was reported that the office of then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the plane be grounded, fearing it would draw criticism during a major economic crisis with mounting unemployment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[3]
On December 7, 2021, After provoking controversy as to its necessity and as a result remaining grounded - the "Wing of Zion" aircraft, intended for the flights of the heads of state has received final approval and completed its registration and inspection process by the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority. Despite this, according to reports, the new PM, Naftali Bennett has not yet decided whether to use the aircraft.[4]
The plane is also referred to in the media as "Israeli Air Force 1", after the well known Air Force One of the United States.
References[]
- ^ "מומחים: נתניהו לא צריך מטוס צמוד כמו אובמה - אין לו הרבה לאן לטוס". TheMarker (in Hebrew). Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ a b Blumenthal, Itai. "בלעדי: תמונות ראשונות של מטוס ראש הממשלה". ynet.com (in Hebrew). Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ Haaretz. "Netanyahu's Controversial New 'Air Force One'". Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ Globes. "Bennett undecided as Israel's 'Air Force One' ready to fly". Retrieved 7 December 2021.
External links[]
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