New England Patriots jet transports 1 million masks from China
The New England Patriots' team plane was used to transport over a million N95 respirator masks from China to the United States via Alaska to aid in coronavirus relief, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
Get Coronavirus travel updates. Stay on top of industry impacts, flight cancellations, and more.
The Journal reports that the Boeing 767 was flown from Shenzhen (SZX) to Boston (BOS) as Massachusetts struggles with a shortage of supplies. The state got a deal from Chinese suppliers to provide masks and then worked to secure permission from China to fly and land the plane in the country, the Journal reported. Massachusetts' governor, Kraft, and others wrote to China asking permission to land the plane for humanitarian reasons and stated that the crew wouldn't leave the aircraft. China generally mandates two weeks of isolation for incoming travelers. The flight crew also needed to obtain visas before arrival.
After a brief stop on the ground, over a million masks were loaded onto the plane. Most were sent to Boston but Kraft pledged to send 300,000 N95s to New York, the state hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
"I've never seen so much red tape in so many ways and obstacles that we had to overcome," Patriots owner Robert Kraft told the Journal. "In today's world, those of us who are fortunate to make a difference have a significant responsibility to do so with all the assets we have available to us."
When not performing humanitarian relief, the plane serves as the Pats' team jet. The Patriots announced in 2017 that they would become the first NFL team to own an aircraft, instead of getting around on leased planes. The team displayed the wide-body jet at a ceremony at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island (PVD).
With the rising cost of chartering airplanes, the Patriots purchased two 767s in order to ferry the team and staff around the country. According to Airfleets.net, the 767-323ER that was shown off was operated by American Airlines from 1991 through 2016 and sat in storage until the Patriots picked it up. The aircraft's registration number is N36NE and is operated by an entity named Team 125.
American Airlines was a large operator of charter flights for football teams until it announced that it would no longer fly the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins due to a lack of aircraft.
The jet is decked out in Patriots livery and the cabin appears to be outfitted in a 2-3-2 and 2-2-2 configuration with what looks like domestic first-class recliner seats. Each seat appears to have a large IFE screen in the headrest.
"We got the widest and largest seats that you can put on this plane," Jim Nolan, Gillette Stadium COO, said in the video. "We've added five inches of legroom beyond what a typical first-class seat has." TPG might disagree with Nolan since lie-flat seats exist on similar aircraft — or what about the Etihad Residence?
Nolan added that the team didn't go with narrowbody aircraft because they "don't have the amount of seats or the amount of capacity underneath the plane to handle the number of people we travel [with] or the amount of equipment we travel [with]."
The 767 has been dubbed the 'Airkraft' as a nod to the Patriots' owner, Robert K. Kraft. According to Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, the two jets will be based out of T.F. Green Airport — about a 33-mile drive from Gillette Stadium.
Seats appear to be adorned with headrest displaying certain players' numbers. Tom Brady's number 12 and Matthew Slater's number 18 are on two of the seats. The aircraft's tail also is painted with the team's five Super Bowl trophies, although it appears that there isn't much room to add any more.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- 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.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $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.