Why is the President of Mexico traveling on a commercial flight to see Trump?

AMLO postpones sale of tickets for the presidential plane raffle 1:55

(CNN) - If you fly between Mexico City and Washington this week, you could be a seatmate with a president.

The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will fly in a commercial plane to the United States, this Tuesday, to meet with the President of Donald Trump. That means the president of the tenth most populous country in the world will hope that his flight is not delayed, put any carry-on luggage on the roof and pray that there is a constant cabin temperature, all while waiting for more legroom. You know, like the rest of us.

The president, who says that private presidential planes are the traps of the "neoliberal elite," will even have to make a stopover. "There are no direct flights from Mexico City to Washington," Lopez Obrador said last week during his daily press conference. "But we can make a connection and get to Washington the day before our meeting."

A Foreign Ministry spokesman did not confirm the exact schedule of the president, citing security concerns. But we have many more questions besides which flight you are on.

But logistically, how does this work?

We have an idea of ​​how the president flies commercially because this is not the first time he has. He has done this several times on domestic flights in Mexico.

Videos and news reports show him beginning his journeys at the old Mexico City airport, crowded with self-seeking travelers, surprised to see a president pass by.

Then he heads through security and heads for his door. CNN cannot confirm if you are ever tempted to buy unnecessary magnets at tourist shops or buy expensive coffee.

When AMLO has boarded his plane in the past, he sits in his seat and talks to other passengers all the time. The show has become a kind of signature for the lifelong politician.

However, this week's flight will be slightly different: The trip will be López Obrador's first international visit since he took office in December 2018. It is unclear how exactly that could change what, at least nationally, it has become a fairly standard operating procedure.

In the United States, you will have to go through Customs and Immigration, although your diplomatic passport should at least have access to a faster line. It will be an unusual day at the office for the US Customs and Border Protection officer charged with stamping that passport.

Is it a safe procedure?

If you subscribe to the notion that presidents are objective, then the answer is no: traveling through multiple public airports and getting caught on planes with strangers increases López Obrador's exposure to possible threats. But I could disagree.

The president has avoided armed guards since taking office, dissolving past presidential security details. Instead, he travels with a handful of aides and chaperones who routinely allow the public direct access to the president.

His office does not publish the exact details of his trips and often shows up at the airport without notice.

But for this trip to the White House, the president has already publicly said he will fly on Tuesday.

A simple online search shows that there are not as many flights to choose from, especially during a pandemic that has decreased flight demand. Mexican officials could, of course, book a series of one-way flights, making it difficult to map potential flights.

But anyone who wants to see the president in person could make a fairly reasonable assumption about what flight he could take when leaving Mexico City.

There is also a risk of collateral damage that any attack on the President could represent for the public traveling with him: earlier this year, a passenger who discovered that López Obrador was on his flight to the Mexican city of Villahermosa asked to be lowered. of the airplane. In a widely shared video online, the man could be heard saying that it was not safe for his family to be on board.

There is also the fact that the President is choosing to fly in the midst of a pandemic. The risk of contagion when flying can be mitigated when best health practices, such as wearing a mask, are practiced. But López Obrador has never used one in public and it is unclear if he will on this trip.

With a mask or not, commercial flights are certainly more risky than staying at home or flying in a private plane. And López Obrador has his own plane. Quite simply, the President is choosing not to use it.

Wait! Does AMLO have his own plane and does not use it?

Officially, the Mexican Government bought a Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 for presidential use, in 2012. The price of the plane was US $ 218.7 million.

López Obrador, a leftist known for his populist positions and his strong base among low-income communities, had long denounced the plane as a notorious example of government overkill and promised never to use it.

The plane has been on sale for more than a year (starting price: $ 130 million), but López Obrador has had trouble finding a buyer. The government maintains it on an airfield in Los Angeles, California, and still pays for its maintenance and storage.

López Obrador said earlier this year that he would raffle and sell tickets, and give it to the winner. But what exactly would the lucky giveaway winner do with a wide-body jet engine passenger jet? He later changed his proposal, saying that he would still sell tickets to cover the cost of the plane but that, instead of handing over the plane to the winner, he would award a cash prize of 20 million Mexican pesos to 100 winners, the equivalent of approximately US $ 900,000.

In the meantime, attempts to sell or lease the plane will continue.

Critics say López Obrador's unwillingness to use that plane, or another Mexico Air Force plane, is a cheap political trick designed to appeal to the many Mexican voters who will never be able to afford a plane ticket.

Supporters have backed his stance, saying that boarding a plane with ample leather seats, a double bed and a spacious bathroom with a shower would be outrageous with so many Mexicans fighting poverty.

No matter which side you fall on, commercial flying is definitely the cheapest option. A weekend Kayak.com search for a Mexico City - Washington round-trip ticket, departing on Tuesday and returning on Thursday, costs just over $ 1,100 per person.

- Karol Suarez contributed to this report

Presidential plane