The last time a New England Patriots plane drew so much attention, it was landing after carrying the team home from the Super Bowl. But on Friday, the aircraft, which had six Lombardi trophies painted on its tail, touched down on a different kind of mission. One that is way bigger than the game.

As the tension in the Middle East heightened during Operation Epic Fury, missiles and rockets forced thousands of Americans to scramble to find a safe passage back to their home. Given the commercial travel limitations and the deteriorating conditions, the United States Department of State began chartering planes, and one of the planes belonged to the Patriots.

Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson had shared an image on social media showing Americans standing in line to board a charter flight.

Now, President Trump has had a long friendship with the Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft. Mr. Kraft sat next to Mr. Trump at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in January for the premiere of “Melania,” the Amazon documentary about the first lady, Melania Trump. However, according to a Fox News Digital source, the Patriots organization itself was not directly involved in arranging the evacuation. Which raised the obvious question: if the team wasn’t involved, why was their plane there at all?

The answer lies in how the aircraft are used. The Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft, has two customized Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. During the NFL season, they are used for players and staff, but in the offseason, their purpose is different altogether. The planes are operated by a charter company, which then leases them out for other flights, including these humanitarian missions and government charters.

According to the State Department officials, the government has been organizing charter flights from several Middle Eastern countries. They are urging those stuck in Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and 14 other nations to leave for safety. As of March 8, nearly 30000+ American citizens had already been rescued since the conflict began. However, this is not the first time the Patriots’ plane has been used for more than just transporting its players.

The Patriots’ plane had been observed flying internationally in the football offseason. Flight tracking data showed that it flew from Texas to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and back last April, . The team said at the time that it was not a deportation flight and that “there were no detainees on the plane.”

A Patriots plane was also used to from China during the Covid-19 pandemic and to from Parkland, Fla., the site of a school shooting, to Washington, D.C., for a march against gun violence in 2018.

Inside the Patriots’ 34-year-old planes 

The story behind the New England Patriots’ plane, often called “AirKraft,” is rather fascinating. According to aviation data firm ch-aviation, the Patriots’ two aircraft are both Boeing 767-300ER jets, which are operated today by Omni Air International. These planes may have a VIP layout now, but they have actually been flying in the air for decades.

One of them is registered as N225NE and is about 34.3 years old. It first entered service with American Airlines back in 1991. The second one, N36NE, is almost the same age, about 34.4 years old, and began service with American Airlines that same year. Long before they were carrying a football team, they were part of the commercial airline fleet.

The Patriots, already being one of the most valuable franchises in the sport in 2015, explored the idea of owning their own aircraft. Two years later, they made a move no other NFL franchise had made before. They bought two Boeing 767 jets specifically for team travel. Once they were purchased, they were completely retrofitted. From first-class seating to getting the classic Patriots color and the team logo added to the fuselage, the aircraft didn’t have an ounce of the commercial flight in it.

At first, the flight and ground operations were handled by Eastern Airlines, but eventually the relationship faltered, and Patriots eventually filed a $22.8 million lawsuit, accusing Eastern of breaching its contract by increasing service prices after 2023.

As of now, the planes are operated by Omni Air International. They are a subsidiary of Air Transport Services Group, which now manages the aircraft for team travel, charter operations, humanitarian missions, and other special flights. This flexibility is the reason the plane could show up in the most unexpected places.