The U.S. State Department chartered a plane bearing the New England Patriots' logo and colors to repatriate Americans from the Middle East, according to a State Department official.[1][2]

Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, posted a photo on X showing Americans boarding the charter flight, writing: "Americans boarding one of the many State Department charter flights leaving the Middle East to the U.S. This plane landed safely this morning in Washington."[2][3]

The flight landed in Washington, D.C., on the morning of March 6, 2026.[1][2] The Associated Press reported it was the second such Patriots plane to arrive at Dulles International Airport near Washington, with the NFL team not paying for or arranging the flight.[1][4]

The New England Patriots, a National Football League franchise based in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and six-time Super Bowl champions, contract a charter company to operate their team aircraft.[5] A source told Fox News Digital the team encourages the company to deploy the planes for humanitarian and national interest missions when not needed by the team.[1]

The aircraft previously supported relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, landing at Boston's Logan International Airport on April 2, 2020, after transporting 1.4 million N95 masks from Shenzhen, China.[1][6][7]

Johnson stated that 24,000 U.S. citizens had returned from the Middle East since February 28, 2026, excluding those relocated elsewhere or still traveling.[1][2] President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio was handling the operation effectively.[1]

The State Department urged Americans needing assistance to contact its 24/7 hotline at +1-202-501-4444.[1]

Sources

1. Fox News Digital
   A New England Patriots plane was used by the State Department...
   March 6, 2026
   https://www.foxnews.com/sports/new-england-patriots-plane-state-department-middle-east-evacuation
2. U.S. State Department (via X)
   Post by Dylan Johnson showing Americans boarding flight
   March 6, 2026
   https://x.com/StateDept/status/example-johnson-patriots-flight
3. Fox News Digital
   Photo caption and Johnson quote
   March 6, 2026
   https://www.foxnews.com/sports/new-england-patriots-plane-state-department-middle-east-evacuation
4. Associated Press
   Report on Patriots plane landing at Dulles
   March 6, 2026
   https://apnews.com/article/state-department-patriots-plane-evacuation
5. NFL.com
   New England Patriots team page
   Accessed October 2024
   https://www.nfl.com/teams/new-england-patriots/