How much does it cost to operate Air Force One? Even having worked in the White House a decade ago, I was shocked to see the numbers.
With the President making weekly trips to Florida, NPR has a story this weekend on Air Force One costs. It seems to be a familiar game in Washington — the opposition party decides the President’s use of Air Force One has an unnecessary drain on taxpayer money. Republicans condemned President Obama for his trips to Hawaii and now Democrats are condemning President Trump for his trips to Florida.
Let’s not play politics here. But we can talk about numbers and perhaps discuss in a bi-partisan basis if there are any better viable alternatives.
Air Force One costs $140,000 per flying hour. A weekend trip to Florida will cost over $1MN taxpayer dollars.
The exact number is classified, but government watchdog groups have come to general consensus that the above number is the lower-limit. Some put the number as high as $200,000 per hour and an extra aircraft is ferried on longhaul trips.
Why is Air Force One so Expensive?
A normal 747 costs between $24K-27K per hour to operate. There is a magic blend of fuel that is driving up a cost. But the modified 747-200 used as Air Force One has some additional bells and whistles, including—
- Midair-refueling capability
- Missile-defense systems
- Electronic countermeasure defense systems
- An operating room
- The ability survive the electromagnetic pulse emitted from a nuclear detonation
- The communications capabilities to manage a wartime crisis from anywhere in the world
But there are other costs: the flight crew (Air Force pilots and flight attendants), Secret Service, food, drink, Marine One helicopter, armored limos, and maintenance crews. The limos, for examples are transported on cargo planes. The cost of that is factored into the hourly operating cost for Air Force One.
Is There A Cheaper Way?
Of course there is a cheaper way — the POTUS flies commercial like we do or at least on a small jet like when President Obama took his wife up to New York City for a dinner date. But running a government from a first class seat on United or American is probably not a good idea.
I’ll open it to discussion, but I don’t see a cheaper way other than making President’s pay for leisure trips out of campaign funds rather than taxpayer dollars. That addresses the source, not the cost though.
“I’ll open it to discussion, but I don’t see a cheaper way other than making President’s pay for leisure trips out of campaign funds rather than taxpayer dollars. That addresses the source, not the cost though.”
That’s one of those things that sounds good in theory, but in practice, how would that work? If, on what’s supposed to be a leisure trip, the President or one of his advisors conducts government business while on Air Force One, does that now make it a business trip vs. leisure trip? I suppose you could apportion out the cost between the taxpayers and campaign funds, but what’s a fair methodology? (That’s actually something taxpayers and the IRS fight over all the time when it comes to business vs. personal expenses; in the end, nobody goes home happy.) For that matter, any President could argue that he or she is “always on call”, even while on a personal trip, and thus everything automatically becomes 100% business.
The best solution is to elect people with better character. I’m very frustrated that Mr. Trump has ruined the GOP’s moral high ground in criticizing Obama’s travel habits. To me, presidents best use resources when they do what many in the private sector do: take an extra day or two on either end of a business trip for leisure.
to TRC hillary and bill were moral characters????? not no one complained that Mr.O went to palm springs or florida for golf lessons or to chicago or LA or LAS weekly for fundraisers!! Or to take the wife and family to Hawaii or martha’s vineyard or to new york to see liberal plays!!!
literally EVERYONE complained when Obama did that. pull your head out of your ass.
There was one statement that jumped out at me. It would be hare to run the government from the seat of a commercial aircraft. If only he WOULD rune the government instead of ruining it. He makes me ashamed to be a Republican. It seems at though professionalism and morals are right out the door.