1. Iran
An Airbus A340 carrying Iranian President Hassan Rohani touches down in Moscow in 2017.
Rohani at a computer inside the 20-year-old European-made jet.
Rohani deplaning on an escalator in Tehran.
In 2018, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Dena Airlines, the operator of Rohani’s Airbus. The sanctions make international travel for the Iranian leader awkward, since ground-handling companies could potentially be hit with penalties for servicing the plane.
2. U.S.A.
One of the two Boeing 747 planes known as Air Force One when the U.S. president is aboard flying over Mount Rushmore in 2001.
The 30-year old planes are able to refuel while airborne, and are equipped with missile defense flares.
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The celebrated sky-blue livery was originally created by the same French-American designer behind the Coca Cola bottle and the Lucky Strike cigarette logo.
President Donald Trump in an office inside Air Force One in 2018.
One of the president's more controversial announcements was a new paint job for replacement Air Force One planes due to enter service in 2024.
3. Russia
One of the three specialized Ilyushin jets used to transport Russian President Vladimir Putin, photographed in 2008.
Putin watches a fighter pilot escorting his jet over Syria in 2017.
The plane is made entirely in Russia and features birch-wood furniture.
Putin’s plane arriving in New Delhi in 2018.
Controversy erupted in 2007 when photos were published showing gaudy golden bathroom fixtures allegedly inside one of Putin's presidential jets.
4. China
A Boeing 747 carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping tailed by a swarm of fighter jets over Pakistan in 2015.
Xi descends onto U.S. soil in 2012.
In the late 1990s China commissioned Boeing to make a dedicated jet for China's leadership. But after the plane was delivered in 2000, Chinese security staff reportedly found a network of sophisticated listening devices in its interior walls.
Xi’s plane arrives in Turkey in 2015.
After the bugging debacle, China opted to use regular passenger jets from Air China’s fleet. The planes are pulled out of commercial service and refitted with office and living space, then converted back to a commercial airliner once government duties are completed.
5. Kazakhstan
Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev arrives in Moscow aboard an Airbus A321 in 2019.
Toqaev deplaning down stairs covered with traditional carpet.
The European jet is a relatively modest ride compared to that of his predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbaev, who flies in a much larger Airbus A330-200.
Toqaev’s jet swings toward a formal reception in Moscow.
It is unclear how much access the new Kazakh president has to Nazarbaev's private fleet of aircraft and helicopters reportedly valued at more than $250 million.
6. North Korea
The Soviet-made Ilyushin IL-62 used by Kim Jong Un arriving (without Kim inside) to South Korea in 2015.
Kim inside the jet, where a glass ashtray confirms smoking is tolerated.
A cockpit of the same model of plane as that used by the North Korean leader.
The antique jets first entered service in the 1960s, and Kim's model is reportedly 39 years old. In 2002, the Ilyushin IL-62 was restricted from flying in the European Union due to the shrieking roar of its engines.
7. Germany
An Airbus A340 plane used by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2014.
The German Air Force manages a fleet of various aircraft for government use.
The Airbus known as Theodor Heuss while carrying the British queen and the German president in Frankfurt in 2015.
The fleet of jets has become a source of embarrassment for Germany following a string of technical problems. In 2018, Merkel arrived late to the G20 summit in Argentina after her plane was grounded when communications systems failed midflight.
Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on board a government plane in 2006.
In 2019, Germany's defense minister announced she would be replacing three of the troubled government planes, telling reporters, "We have to, I think everyone can see that.”
8. Ukraine
An Antonov An-148 plane used by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The aircraft was photographed during a prisoner swap with Russia in 2019.
Zelenskiy arriving in Poland in 2019.
Although the Ukrainian president has access to other aircraft, including a highly reliable Airbus, Zelenskiy appears to prefer the joint Russian/Ukrainian-developed Antonov despite a patchy safety record.
An Antonov similar to the one used by the Ukrainian president rolling off the Ukrainian production line in 2009.
In 2011, one of the planes broke apart in midair when a test crew pushed the plane beyond its speed limit. All six people on board fell to their deaths.