The arrival of the plane was documented by Tomás Cubero, who has been an airplane spotter for 20 years. It is his hobby to photograph the wide range of airplanes that come to the country.
“This aircraft, a Boeing 767-300 operated by Omni Air Express for the New England Patriots, is one of two identical ones owned by the team. When they are out of the NFL season, they are chartered for various roles. As a result, they have been seen in different countries, since they are usually only used to transport players between games,” said Cubero.
The Patriots acquired two planes that each cost about $190 million. This aircraft was also used for Barcelona of Spain to travel during their preseason in 2022.
The plane arrived in Costa Rica from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland as part of a United States Transportation Command flight. According to AERIS, the airport manager, the flight corresponds to a non-scheduled flight operated by a private operator, which has no association with the NFL team.
“The Patriots have leased out these aircraft several times over the years, once leasing both of the aircraft to Eastern Airlines and most recently, leasing both of the aircraft to Omni Air International,” said Simple Flying.
The interior is adapted so that each player can travel with all the comforts, including plenty of space between the seats, which are fully reclining in case the athletes want to take a nap.
This impressive aircraft was also key during the pandemic. Its size was used to transport vaccines and masks to different parts of the world, including countries such as El Salvador and within the United States.
“The two aircraft in the New England Patriots fleet are both Boeing 767-300s, which are part of the successful widebody series. Originally, Boeing launched the program in 1978 with the first prototype aircraft flying for the first time just three years later, in September 1981,” explained Simple Flying.
The New England Patriots are owned by Robert Kraft, the CEO of the Kraft Group, who purchased the team in 1994. The team is based in Boston and among the most valuable sports teams in the world.
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