Author: Kai30

Six Boeing 737s. Two Gulfstream G650ER luxury jets. All bought by the US government — for deportation flights.

The Department of Homeland Security is now searching for a private operator to run a brand-new, government-owned airline.

The mission: round-the-clock deportation flights, ready to launch on short notice, anywhere in the world.

The fleet is already taking shape.

DHS has spent roughly $140 million acquiring six 737-700s from Avelo Airlines, each capable of carrying up to 149 passengers.

Then there are the two G650ERs — ultra-long-range luxury jets that cruise near 600 mph and can fly nearly 6,700 miles without stopping.

Officials say those planes are for senior leadership travel, medical evacuations, and “high-risk” missions.

Right now, deportations run through charter companies like GlobalX.

This plan would cut out the middleman, building an in-house fleet with its own pilots, flight attendants, security, and even flight nurses.

The numbers behind it are staggering. Between January and April 2025 alone, over 550,000 people were detained or deported, as the administration pushes toward a goal of one million deportations a year.

Supporters call it smart, cost-efficient government.

Critics call it something else entirely — a permanent, purpose-built deportation machine.

#AviationNews #Boeing737 #Aircraft #Flying #Airlines #Aviation

Passengers heading to West Palm Beach were greeted with something they weren’t expecting on American Airlines’ departure screens: “Pres DJT.”

The unusual label appeared after Florida officially renamed Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, making Donald Trump the first sitting U.S. president to have a major airport named after him.

The rename followed a state law signed earlier this year, and a licensing agreement that County commissioners approved in a close, contentious vote.

The airport itself still uses the familiar PBI code—for now. IATA codes are rarely changed once assigned, and almost never without a strong safety justification, but the switch to DJT is expected to take effect on August 18, at the request of the major airlines that serve the airport, including American, Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest.

In the meantime, airline systems are updating unevenly.

Some carriers already recognize both codes, while American’s booking system reportedly still runs on PBI alone, with DJT not yet built in at all.

Against that backdrop, “Pres DJT” showing up on a departure screen looks less like a finished system update and more like an early, informal nod to the rebrand.

Not everyone saw it that way.

Screenshots quickly spread online, with some passengers accusing the airline of making a political statement, while others argued it was simply a technical update ahead of the code change.

Whether you see it as smart planning or unnecessary confusion, one thing is certain: a routine airport screen has suddenly become the center of a national debate.

Do you think airlines should stick with city names until the official airport code changes, or is updating early the right move? ✈️👇

#AmericanAirlines #AviationNews #AirTravel #Florida #DJT #PBI