Trump's plane vs. Xi Jinping's aircraft – key differences revealed

The article compares the approaches to organizing air transport for foreign trips of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US uses a specially equipped Air Force One aircraft, while China does not assign a separate airliner to its leader, instead preparing planes from the Air China fleet before each trip.

The article compares the approaches to organizing air transport for foreign trips of US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US has a specially equipped presidential aircraft, Air Force One — two modified Boeing 747-200B VC-25A aircraft with tail numbers 28000 and 29000. The plane has an area of about 372 square meters, three levels, a presidential suite, a medical unit capable of functioning as an operating room, and secure communication systems. China, in contrast, does not assign a separate airliner to its leader. For Xi Jinping's trips, planes are prepared from the fleet of the state airline Air China — Boeing 747-400 or Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. Before the flight, the aircraft undergoes additional checks, a special crew is formed, and the interior is reconfigured: some seats are removed, and sofas and beds are installed. The airliner is conditionally divided into zones for the leader, ministers, staff, and journalists. China does not disclose details about the preparation of such aircraft, maintaining heightened confidentiality. The article is based on material from the South China Morning Post.