Brand New Patriots Plane Leaves On First Team Trip
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots flew to Florida in style Wednesday as their new team jet took off on its maiden voyage.
The team purchased two Boeing 767s in August, intending to use one as their main ride and the other as a backup.
One of the brand-new jets, which the Pats have nicknamed AirKraft after their owner Bob Kraft, arrived in Providence Tuesday and left with the team on board Wednesday afternoon.
The Patriots completely retrofitted the planes' interiors, taking out some of the 250 seats typically on a 767, but leaving more than enough to accommodate the team and everyone who travels with them.
In a video produced by the organization, Chief Operating Officer Jim Nolan said theses jets offer players more room.
"We got the widest and largest seats that you can put on this plane," Nolan said. "We've added five inches of leg room beyond what a typical first-class seat has."
He said there was a trend of smaller, narrower-bodied planes being used in the charter business--and that those planes sometimes didn't have room for the number of people or amount of equipment the team travels with.
"It was important for the Patriots to be the first and be in front of this," Nolan said.
Five Super Bowl trophies adorn the plane's tail.
The Patriots play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday night.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
