On December 26, 1973, President Richard Nixon made aviation history by becoming the only sitting U.S. President to fly on a regularly scheduled commercial airline flight.

When President Nixon Flew Commercial On United Airlines

The 1973 oil crisis began when OPEC cut off oil exports to nations that backed Israel during the Yom Kippur War, sending fuel prices skyrocketing almost overnight. Amid the oil crisis, Nixon and his family boarded United Airlines Flight 55 from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX) on December 26, 1973.

The White House explained that the trip was part of an effort to demonstrate energy conservation and public confidence in commercial aviation. Deputy Press Secretary Gerald Warren told reporters that the President “decided to go to California and thought that he could, as president, take many steps to set an example in the field of energy.”

Nixon, along with his wife, First Lady Pat Nixon, and his daughter, Tricia Nixon, plus 22 staffers, security, and members of the press pool, purchased 13 first class tickets ($217.64 each) and 12 economy class tickets ($167.64 each).

Executive One Takes Off

Because the sitting President was aboard, the flight was temporarily designated Executive One, the civilian equivalent of Air Force One. Operated by a United Airlines DC-10, the flight departed on schedule with a small security contingent and an Air Force backup aircraft in the air nearby (yes, optics indeed). Nixon reportedly made his rounds on during the flight, greeting passengers, shaking hands, and chatting with several travelers as he made his way through the widebody aircraft. One teenager asked if he was Bob Hope, to which Nixon laughed and replied, “He’s a good friend of mine.”

A Singular Moment In Presidential Travel

No other U.S. President before or since has flown on a regular commercial flight while in office. Nixon’s brief trip aboard United Flight 55 remains a one-of-a-kind gesture…part political symbolism, part public relations, and part personal statement during an era of national austerity.

In an era that predated mobile phone and internet, an aide carried a suitcase-sized secure communications device aboard so Nixon could stay connected with Washington in case of an emergency.

CONCLUSION

Nixon’s post-Christmas journey from Washington to Los Angeles stands as a rare moment when the presidency intersected with everyday air travel. For one day, the leader of the free world boarded a standard United Airlines flight alongside ordinary passengers…a scene unlikely ever to be repeated.

The crisis fundamentally reshaped America’s approach to energy, prompting new conservation measures like extended daylight saving time (which ends tonight), tougher fuel efficiency standards, and a nationwide 55 MPH speed limit aimed at saving gasoline.

image: Nixon Library