These Are the Top 5 Airports Used by NFL Teams

The National Football League (NFL) has grown to become the most popular sports league in the United States, as well as one of the most globally recognized. The league was started as the American Professional Football Conference in 1920, with only fourteen teams.

However, since then, the league has expanded to 32 teams dispersed around the United States. The NFL’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, has helped the league produce the highest income of any sports league. This is primarily owing to its numerous television agreements with major partners such as CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN, among others.

In 2023, the NFL had the highest income of any sports league in the globe. It generated more than $20 billion in total income, outpacing the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the Premier League.

This resulted in nearly $735 million for each of the 32 teams. It also hosted 285 total events, including the NFL playoffs, resulting in income of more than $80 million each game played in the 2023 season.

Due to the high cost of the league, most teams rely on charter planes to transport players, personnel, and coaching staff to games. Several teams, such the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals, own and operate their own fleet of aircraft to transport the vast number of personnel engaged on game days.

However, almost every other team’s charter flight departs from an airport near their home city, which is usually a large urban area. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the airports from which the most well-known NFL teams depart to travel across the country for their next game.

1. New England Patriots

Airport used: Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Providence, Rhode Island

Over the previous 25 years, the New England Patriots have established themselves as one of the NFL’s most storied clubs. The squad was founded in November 1959, 65 years ago, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The squad is currently a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) and plays its games at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots, formerly known as the Boston Patriots, expanded their support base to include the larger Boston area and numerous smaller states.

Since then, the squad has expanded swiftly and achieved significant success in the NFL. The squad has won eleven separate AFC conference championships and 22 division titles.

It has also won six Super Bowls, in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018, tying for the most in the NFL. The team is widely considered as one of the greatest sporting dynasties in history.

As a result, the team has risen to become the world’s third-most valuable sports team, with a current valuation of more than $7 billion. It’s no surprise that the New England Patriots are one of just two NFL clubs with their own private fleet of planes.

Currently, the team operates two Boeing 767s, registered as N36NE and N225NE. These were first operated by American Airlines in the early 1990s.

According to ch-aviation, the Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft, acquired the two planes in December 2017. These aircraft are used to transport the Patriots’ roster and personnel to away games across the United States.

Kraft and the Patriots fly from TF Green International Airport (PVD) in Rhode Island rather than Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in Massachusetts.

The Providence airport is nearly the same distance from Gillette Stadium as Boston, however traffic in Providence is significantly calmer. This makes it much easier to get to TF Green from the stadium and the team’s headquarters.

2. San Francisco 49ers

Airport used: San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, California

The San Francisco 49ers are another storied NFL franchise. The squad was created in June 1944, more than 80 years ago.

Since then, the team has been one of the most successful in the NFL, winning five Super Bowl titles, eight NFC Conference Championships, and 22 Division Championships. The squad also holds the record for most postseason victories in NFL history.

It’s no surprise that the 49ers are one of the world’s most valuable sports franchises, given their on-field performance. According to Forbes, the 49ers are worth slightly under $7 billion, making them the sixth most valuable team in the NFL.

The squad is called after San Francisco, however it is especially based in Santa Clara. This city is located in the San Jose metro area, over an hour away from downtown San Francisco. Due to its unique location, the team departs from San Jose International Airport (SJI) rather than San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

3.Buffalo Bills

Airport used: Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG) in Niagara Falls, New York

The Buffalo Bills are another NFL franchise that was established in the 1960s, more than 65 years ago. The squad competes in the AFC, but it only achieved success on the field before the AFL-NFL merger, winning two championships in 1964 and 1965.

Aside from that, the Buffalo Bills won four Conference Championships from 1990 to 1993 but lost all four Super Bowls.

However, the team has been steadily improving in recent years, winning Division Championships in each of the last five years.

Even so, the club is valued at more than $5.6 billion. The Bills do not fly chartered flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF). Instead, the Bills fly from Niagara Falls International Airport (IAG), which is approximately 20 minutes north of Buffalo Niagara.

4. Miami Dolphins

Airport used: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Miami Dolphins were founded in August 1965, about 59 years ago. Since then, the Dolphins have become one of the most recognizable teams in the NFL, thanks primarily to their distinctive turquoise and orange uniforms.

The franchise has achieved success in the NFL, particularly in the early years of the league. The Dolphins have won two Super Bowls, five AFC Conference Championships, and made 25 overall playoff appearances.

Furthermore, major investments over the last year have increased the Dolphins’ valuation to around $8.1 billion. The Dolphins are based near Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

It is located at the far northern edge of Miami, closer to downtown Fort Lauderdale than downtown Miami. The Dolphins fly from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport instead of Miami International Airport (MIA).

5. Arizona Cardinals

Airport used: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) in Phoenix, Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the NFL’s oldest franchises. It began as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, but has since expanded to other cities across the United States. However, the Arizona Cardinals have not been successful in recent years.

Since the NFL’s inception, it has only appeared in one Super Bowl: in 2008. The franchise has made only eleven postseason appearances.

Nonetheless, the Arizona Cardinals are valued at around $4.3 billion, placing them toward the bottom of the NFL team rankings. The club competes at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

However, the team’s actual headquarters are in Tempe, Arizona, which is on the other side of the Phoenix metropolitan region. The team’s offices are in Tempe, thus they operate from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), which is conveniently located just a few blocks from downtown Tempe.

The Arizona Cardinals, along with the New England Patriots, run their own fleet of private planes. Michael Bidwell, the owner of the Arizona Cardinals, created Gridiron Air in June 2021 as a charter airplane that serves professional and amateur sports teams all over the world. The Cardinals operate multiple Gridiron Air aircraft, including two Boeing 777s.

The two huge planes are registered as N7777AZ and N860DA. Gridiron Air owns both of aircraft and operates them on a wet lease basis for the Arizona Cardinals. Both of these popular business planes were previously flown by Delta Air Lines.

The airplane features 288 seats, 166 of which are enlarged for comfort. This contains 28 first-class pods with lie-flat seats and 48 business-class seats.

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