President Biden is traveling to England today, but is Cornwall's runway long enough to accommodate Air Force One?
For the first time since taking the office of President of the United States of America, Joe Biden will make his way to Europe to meet with world leaders. On Wednesday, President Biden will fly to the United Kingdom for the G7 Summit ahead of its start on Friday, June 11, at Carbis Bay Hotel on the Cornish coast.
But the Presidential convoy isn't exactly small — like the Cornish coast it'll be traveling to. President Biden and his entourage, including his wife Dr. Jill Biden, will fly to England on the world-famous Air Force One.
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Air Force One, a designated VC-25A specially designed Boeing 747 with a shorter upper-deck hump, is big. It offers the traveling President 4,000 square feet of space onboard — nothing the average traveler would be used to seeing on a 747.
Related: Will Biden keep Trump's Air Force One update?
According to the President's public schedule for Wednesday, June 9, President and First Lady Biden are expected to depart Joint Base Andrews (ADW) outside of Washington, D.C. at 8:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. GMT).
Air Force One will then fly the President 3,678 miles to Royal Air Force Mildenhall (MHZ) in Suffolk, England, where it's expected to arrive around 8 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET). While it's a Royal Air Force station, Mildenhall is primarily used by the U.S. Air Force and is "the only permanent U.S. air refueling wing in the European theatre," according to the base.
Given it's an RAF base where U.S. Air Force are based, Air Force One will have no difficulties landing at or departing from RAF Mildenhall. The runway at Mildenhall is 9,221 feet in length, according to the base, which is enough for the light 747 to land at and depart from, especially given the short distance of its next flight.
President Biden is expected to deliver remarks and meet with U.S. Air Force personnel at RAF Mildenhall shortly after his arrival — at 8:45 p.m. local time (3:45 p.m. ET) on Wednesday.
Air Force One will then depart Mildenhall at 9:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m.), bound for Newquay Airport (NQY) in Cornwall — a 272-mile journey. The modified 747 is expected to arrive at NQY at 10:55 p.m. local time (5:55 p.m. ET), where the President and First Lady will then be transported to their final destination in St. Ives — at the Tregenna Castle Resort.
But, is Newquay Airport actually big enough to accommodate the superjumbo Air Force One, as well as the aircraft for other world leaders in attendance? Surprisingly enough, the answer is — in most cases — yes.
Related: Who’s got the biggest plane? See the VIP jets of world leaders
Newquay Airport (NQY) is one of the smaller passenger airports in U.K. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Newquay, Cornwall's main airport, saw just 461,478 passengers transiting to, from or through the airport in 2019, according to the Civil Aviation Authority — making it the thirtieth-busiest airport in the country. By point of comparison, more than 80 million transited through Heathrow, more than four million transited through London City (LCY) and more than 836,000 transited through the airport on the Isle of Man.
But, even for such a small airport that typically doesn't handle commercial aircraft larger than regional planes, it's got capabilities to handle much larger jets. The runway at NQY is 8,986 feet in length, which is enough space for Air Force one to land and depart — especially if it's carrying a lighter load.
TPG reached out to Newquay Airport to confirm that Air Force One would be landing at the airport on Wednesday evening but did not receive a response by time of publication.
In March, Newquay Airport received £7.8 million (about $11 million) in funding to use for upgrades to the premises ahead of the G7 Summit. At the time, the council said that in its state, it could not support "the needs of the aircraft types that will be arriving.”
During the pandemic, Newquay Airport largely remained closed to commercial flights. The airport's operations were further hampered by the demise of Flybe, the U.K. regional carrier that operated to the holiday destination in Cornwall. In the aftermath of the U.K.'s third national lockdown and anticipated "summer of the staycation," Newquay Airport is expecting a massive rebound in traffic. In fact, it's expecting its busiest summer ever with 10 different airlines — ranging from British Airways to EasyJet, Edelweiss, Loganair, Blue Islands and more — operating to and from the airport.
While President Biden is in Cornwall, he will utilize helicopters, as well as an armored car to transport him around. Local media in Cornwall this week reported that two helicopters, which were surrounded by three V-22 Ospreys, could be seen flying in and out of Tregenna Castle Resort, where the Bidens will stay in Cornwall. When the President is onboard one of the helicopters, it's dubbed Marine One.
The G7 Summit, which is an organization made up of the world's seven largest economies, includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. Leaders from the countries, as well as a few who have received special invitations this year — India, South Korea and Australia, as well as representatives from the EU — will descend on Cornwall this week.
The main topic to be discussed at the Summit will be how the nations can join forces to aid in COVID-19 recovery, as well as climate change and trade. The travel industry is also hopeful that by having President Biden and Prime Minister Borris Johnson in the same room, there may be some discussions on the possibility of opening a travel corridor between the two countries.
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- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.