Israel’s Wing of Zion, a Boeing 767 that was converted to be a Presidential private jet, is scheduled to fly for the first time in November 2023.
According to reports by Israel Hayom, citing sources close to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, the aircraft will fly for the first time in November 2023, when it will carry Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and the state’s President Isaac Herzog to the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The source also told the outlet that the Israeli state received a “good deal” following the acquisition of the Boeing 767-300ER, now registered as 4X-ISR. The aircraft was fitted with a meeting room and air defense systems to protect it against potential threats in the skies.
According to ch-aviation.com data, the Boeing 767-300ER was first delivered to Qantas in 2000, before the airline transferred the aircraft to its now-bankrupt subsidiary, Australian Airlines. When that airline went out of business, Qantas continued to fly the wide-body jet until 2013.
Eventually, it was transferred to the United States (US). The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aircraft registry data showed that the 767 was registered as N376CM, receiving its certificate on October 28, 2016. In September 2017, the FAA canceled the aircraft’s certificate, citing that it was being exported to Israel.
Ch-aviation.com data also showed that the aircraft has a total of 25,627 Flight Hours (FH) and 14,178 Flight Cycles (FC).
Previously, the unofficial Israeli Air Force One, carrying the head of state, was either leased from El Al or Arkia. Aircraft from the fleet of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) have also been used to carry Israeli officials.
The IAF will operate the Boeing 767-300ER. The force has also four KC-46 tankers on order, which are a military derivative of the Boeing 767. Both Wing of Zion and the Pegasus fleet will operate from Nevatim Air Force Base in Israel’s Southern District.
According to flightradar24.com records, the Boeing 767-300ER has not flown in the past three months.