Arizona Cardinals unveil sleek team jet: A Boeing 777
Touching down in an NFL city near you: a Boeing 777-200ER that was just acquired by the Arizona Cardinals.
The sleek aircraft was unveiled earlier this month, and seats 288, including 28 first-class seats and 48 business class seats, the team said in a press release.
If you're a Delta Air Lines frequent flyer and that configuration sounds familiar, that's because it is. The aircraft, N867DA, was delivered to Delta in 2002 and served with the airline until its 777 fleet was retired in October 2020. While no photos are available of its interior, it appears that the Cardinals left the Delta configuration in place, including the carrier's latest Delta One Suites.
"It is a major undertaking every time we travel for a game," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. "This aircraft will not only provide major convenience but also maximum comfort for our players when getting them to and from road games. Every NFL team is looking for advantages whenever possible and we think this will certainly provide one."
Avgeeks can track the aircraft, which flies under its registration number, here. The aircraft's crew is provided by Jet Aviation Flight Services, according to ch-aviation.com.
In the release, the Cardinals said that the team has traveled 109,277 air miles over the past five years — ranking the team seventh in the league for travel over that time period.
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The Cardinals are the second NFL team to own an aircraft. The New England Patriots acquired two Boeing 767-300ERs in 2017, which are operated by Eastern Airlines. Since those aircraft just feature recliner seats, it's pretty clear which team wins the luxury match-up.
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Cardinals.