Presidential travel, China style

When China’s President Xi Jinping flew into Seattle last September, his presidential airliner looked like any other Air China 747-400 passenger jet. That is because it was.

The Chinese have a different approach to flying their leaders. Its Air Force owns a small fleet of 737s to shuttle dignitaries on short hauls, but they contract with independently owned Air China for extended overseas missions.

In the United States, our government leaders exclusively fly military aircraft, many of which made by Boeing in Washington state, but those jets are not designed for commercial service.

China’s appro...