The first operational flight of the Prime Minister's new plane to the US, carrying an advance delegation and equipment for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at Congress in Washington, did not go smoothly.

During the flight, a crack was discovered in the windshield of the 25-year-old Boeing 767. This issue is common in 767 aircraft, and Boeing regulations allow continued flight with it. Upon the plane's return from the US, the windshield will be replaced by Israel Aerospace Industries technicians, who converted the plane and are responsible for its maintenance.

The issue will be fixed before Netanyahu departs for the US on Sunday, the Prime Minister's first flight on the plane. Netanyahu advocated purchasing an Israeli 'Air Force One' instead of renting an aircraft from Israeli airlines for each flight, which would lack special defense and communication measures.

However, the State Comptroller revealed in a report the flawed conduct of the project, which took a long time, underwent late and costly changes according to the demands of the Prime Minister's Office and the Shin Bet and exceeded its budget by more than 100 million shekels. Over 400 million shekels have been spent on the plane out of a budget of 729 million shekels approved for its purchase and operation over the first ten years.

To save costs, the plane was built using a used Boeing ER767-300 that had been in service with Australian airlines since 2000. The plane arrived in Israel in 2016, but the completion of the work was delayed due to the Netanyahu office's request to add a shower in the Prime Minister's suite and modify it for security and defense.

Due to Yair Lapid's opposition to using the plane, it remained unused during the Bennett-Lapid government. It was stored at the Nevatim Airbase, where an operational infrastructure was built for it. The plane was restored to operational status only when Netanyahu returned to the Prime Minister's Office. The Air Force began conducting training flights with it, and now it is entering service.

Israel Aerospace Industries workers’ union chairman Yair Katz is seen ceremonially removing the ''experimental'' sticker on the Wings of Zion, Israel's answer to Air Force One. (credit: Courtesy Yair Katz)
Israel Aerospace Industries workers’ union chairman Yair Katz is seen ceremonially removing the ''experimental'' sticker on the Wings of Zion, Israel's answer to Air Force One. (credit: Courtesy Yair Katz)
Due to its storage during the previous government and poor management by the Prime Minister's Office, Boeing has not yet completed the full certification of the plane for carrying 120 passengers, which is required after its conversion. The plane is currently authorized to carry only 80 passengers, necessitating double flights for the current visit.

The 767 model's shortcomings

Originally, the 767 could accommodate over 200 seats. Still, with the installation of the Prime Minister's suite (including a conference room convertible to an operating room) and an expanded business class area for the Prime Minister's entourage, it now has only 120 seats.