New England Patriots become first NFL team to buy their own planes

If the Patriots can come back from a 28-3 deficit late in the third quarter, they can do just about anything, including becoming the first NFL team to buy their own planes. Not one, but two; one for Gronk and one for everybody else. Just kidding, One is the main plane and one is a backup plane.

WOW! @Patriots become the first NFL team to purchase its own airplanes. Will operate out of @tfgreenairport according to reports. pic.twitter.com/6BKZFHmQTc

— Tony Gugliotta (@NBC10_Tony) August 8, 2017

Clearly, these ain’t no reggula deggula planes. In addition to being tricked out in full Pats skin, at least one plane also has five Lombardi trophies on its tail, just in case anyone forgets that the Patriots have owned the NFC for the past 20 years.

According to ESPN, the planes are wide-body Boeing 767 jets that have been completely retrofitted with all first class amenities. After all, you can’t expect a 325 lb lineman to squeeze into a tiny airplane seat. The planes are allegedly the extended range versions, meaning they can spend about 12 hours in the air at a time. While the cost of a used airplane varies wildly pending a litany of factors, these bad boys probably ran the organization somewhere between $5 and $65 million each, and that’s before they were completely gutted and refurbished, not only to appease the players, but also the FAA.

While the cost of a used airplane varies wildly pending a litany of factors, these bad boys probably ran the organization somewhere between $5 and $65 million each, and that’s before they were completely gutted and refurbished, not only to appease the players, but also the FAA. A new one could run you as much as $200 million.

That’s a lot of money, but sources in the know say that teams are spending up to $4 million per year to charter 10 flights that can accommodate the entire roster, coaching staff, and support staff. Given the rising costs of travel for NFL teams, the aging fleets of planes that major carriers have on their books (and it is NOT cheap for a company like Delta, United, or American Airlines to refurbish a fleet of planes) it’s likely that the Patriots won’t be the only NFL team with their own planes for long.