The first photos of the “Wings of Zion” plane, the official Israeli plane that includes an operations room, have been published.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House last week and addressed the U.S. Congress. To get there, the Israeli president flew in the “Wings of Zion” (or “Wings of Zion in Portuguese”), Israel’s new presidential plane.

This is the first international flight using the reconfigured aircraft, and alongside the visit, the first images of the aircraft's interior during its official operation were shared.

The 24-year-old Boeing 767-300ER was previously used by Qantas and acquired by the Israeli Air Force in 2016. The conversion to VIP configuration was completed in 2019, but the aircraft was inactive during the pandemic for image reasons, with key operations staggered. Ministers chose not to use it.

In the past, several El Al planes have been chartered to transport the president and prime minister, but these did not have encrypted communications. Furthermore, El Al pilots have, on occasion, refused to fly with Netanyahu as a form of political protest.

The Wings of Zion is divided into four main areas: the Prime Minister's personal area, the section for his senior advisers, the security and junior staff area, and the press section at the back of the plane.

The interior of the aircraft includes a conference room, communications networks and an operations room. The interior decor includes wooden panels between sections, and the seats are blue with white headrests, reminiscent of Lufthansa planes from 15 years ago. While the pilots are from the Israeli Air Force, the flight attendants are permanently employed by Israeli airline Arkia.

This visit represents an important moment in diplomatic relations between the two countries, as the “Zion Wing” symbolizes the strengthening of relations and the modernization of Israeli diplomacy.