US Presidential candidate
Barack Obama has been making the headlines here in Europe this week, with a speech yesterday in
Berlin which drew a crowd of more than 200,000.
Obama, which was in
Afghanistan,
Iraq,
Israel and
Jordan earlier this week, continues his presidential-like whirlwind trip today with stops in
Paris and
London. But as he isn't president yet (the media over here seems to have forgotten he has a serious challenger in John McCain) he can't fly in Air Force I. But his campaign has
hired a Boeing 757-200ER from US carrier North American Airlines to fly him around until the 4 November election.
North American's parent company, Global Aero Logistics, was kind enough to send me some photos of his plane, which the carrier has specially painted for Obama. As you can see from the photos below the campaign's theme, "change we can believe in", has been painted on the fuselage and the campaign's logo has been painted on the tail.

North American isn't a household name but has been around since 1989 operating charter services with a fleet of 10 757s and 767s. Until earlier this year it also flew a few scheduled services to Africa and South America from its New York JFK base. Global Aero Logistics, which also owned ATA Airlines until it went bust earlier this year, acquired North American and wet-lease specialist World Airways last year.
It's not the only carrier that has flown around Obama - the Illinois Senator also hired a Boeing MD-80 from Midwest Airlines earlier this month to fly him between Chicago and Charlotte but after the aircraft had to make an emergency landing in St. Louis he may want to stick with North American's 757.
on July 25, 2008 9:45 PM | Reply
He is a man of class. He handles himself as I would, given the opportunity. It is sad the republicans could only field him.
Red
on August 1, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply
Obama scares me. His association with extreme leftists and his economic beliefs prove that he is against most of the principles that made this country great. He is the socialist's socialist.
Joe
on December 8, 2009 10:54 PM | Reply
Dont agree I'm afraid