FACT CHECK: Viral Post Claims Joe Biden Has Never Flown On Air Force One
A post shared on Facebook claims President Joe Biden has never flown on Air Force One.
Verdict: False
Several videos and images show Biden boarding and then flying on Air Force One. There is no evidence to suggest that he has never flown on Air Force One.
Fact Check:
A March 28 Facebook post attempts to suggest Biden has “not once” flown on Air Force One. Air Force One technically refers to any Air Force aircraft that the president flies on, though there are specific aircrafts designated for the purpose, according to the White House website.
“Today, this name refers to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000. The Air Force designation for the aircraft is VC-25A,” the White House website further explains.
The claim that Biden has never flown on Air Force One is inaccurate. Both video and photographic evidence of Biden boarding and then leaving on the plane have been published. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Donald Trump Signing A $25 Million ‘Gun Control Research’ Bill?)
Biden on Feb. 6 took his first flight on Air Force One as president from Washington, D.C. to Delaware, Axios reported. The outlet said it was onboard for the flight. Biden had not flown on Air Force One in more than two decades before becoming president, according to The New York Times.
A Feb. 9 video posted by The Hill on YouTube shows Biden stumbling up the stairs to Air Force One and, at the end, the plane taking off with Biden aboard.
Furthermore, Biden’s public schedule on Factba.se shows him and staffers flying on Air Force One, including for a March 23 trip from Washington, D.C. to Columbus, Ohio and for a trip to Atlanta, Georgia on March 19. Media outlets such as Reuters and NBC4 have likewise reported that that president has flown aboard Air Force One.
The Associated Press on March 28 published images of Biden exiting Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland after returning from Delaware. Biden also gave remarks before he departed Delaware, according to the White House website, and The Hill published video footage of him speaking at the Delaware Air National Guard Base.