Cardinals take off for Detroit in newly bought Boeing 777 team plane
Dec 18, 2021, 9:30 AM | Updated: 9:33 am
The Arizona Cardinals will be in a new whip when they take off for Detroit to play the Lions on Sunday.
The team announced on Friday that the organization has purchased a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.
Arizona will transport players, coaches, support staff and equipment on the 288-passenger plane.
Of those seats, 166 are oversized for extra comfort and features 28 first-class pods with lie-down seats and 48 business class seats.
RELATED STORIES
The Cardinals join the New England Patriots as the only NFL franchises to buy a plane for team travel.
“It is a major undertaking every time we travel for a game,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a press release.
“This aircraft will not only provide major convenience but also maximum comfort for our players when getting them to and from road games. Every NFL team is looking for advantages wherever possible and we think this will certainly provide one.”
The Boeing 777 is powered by Rolls Royce Trent engines and has a normal cruise speed of 645 mph, according to the release.
It also has a maximum altitude of 43,100 feet, can travel 8,625 miles without refueling and has a maximum takeoff weight of 656,000 pounds.
The Cardinals have to travel 22,186 miles in the air over the course of the 2021 season. Only five NFL teams are required to go further this season.
Over the last five years, Arizona has traveled the seventh-most in the league with 109,277 air miles.
