How many NFL teams own their own private planes?

NFL players are known for making large salaries and leading opulent lives. But when they have to play on the road, do they fly aboard private jets? Most people undoubtedly believe that all 32 NFL teams travel on team planes, but that is not the case.

Just one NFL franchise flies its own plane to transport its athletes. The club has two private planes for transporting representatives. The fact that the enormously popular New England Patriots own it is perhaps a less shocking revelation.

When New England bought a pair of Boeing 767s in 2017, the team became the first league franchise to have its own aircraft. No other organization has had a plane for more than five years after. According to a 2017 ESPN article, the Patriots' aircraft are in "extended range," enabling them to fly continuously for nearly 12 hours.

Since the Pats are the airplane's owners, they have been configured as a VIP space so players may fly effectively and luxuriously.

The Patriots had hoped to reduce the escalating expense of air transport by having their own airplanes, particularly because many airline companies no longer operate the larger jets that clubs employ during the season. Keeping expenditures in-house is entirely logical because 10 round trips can cost roughly $4 million.

The Patriots also believe that having a self-owned jet will speed up players' recoveries because it will make it simpler for them to get to specialists and equipment.

Business Insider reports that the New England Patriots' personal plane was not originally private. In actuality, it was built to be a commercial plane. Before being purchased by New England in early 2016, it was decommissioned from industrial use. It's a lot bigger than the typical private jet.

What do other NFL teams use instead of a private plane?

For away games, the remaining 31 NFL franchises take leased planes, which gives the impression of traveling privately without the cost. Most teams are transported by one of the three famous airline companies: American, Delta or United.

Franchises spend about $4 million on trips annually on average, as per Sports Business Journal. This is anticipated to increase in the upcoming years, which prompted the league to take into account additional options to lower travel expenses, such as potentially representing a group of franchises in negotiations with just one carrier or investing in a company that would acquire long-term privileges for a particular airline's jets.