Comco is the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...

'' name of an American company operating two

Boeing 757 The Boeing 757 is an American narrow-body airliner designed and built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The then-named 7N7, a twinjet successor for the 727 (a trijet), received its first orders in August 1978. The prototype completed its maid ...

aircraft.

Overview

Little is known about the exact nature of their operation, but the aircraft are believed to operate on behalf of the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

. There is speculation they are occasionally repainted to display military serial numbers instead of the customary civilian registration code. They are often confused with the similarly secretive and sparsely marked Boeing C-32B Gatekeeper aircraft, modified 757's operated by the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft are painted white, and have either the word ''COMCO'' on the tail or stylized blue sweeps on the tail, fuselage, and engine

cowling A cowling is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings are a cove ...

. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) registry lists the owner of the aircraft as L-3 Capital, an assumed subsidiary of defense contractor

L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies (L3Harris) is an American technology company, defense contractor, and information technology services provider that produces C6ISR systems and products, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics and electronic systems, ...

. When parked and unused, the aircraft have padlocks which seal each of the exits, a highly unusual modification for an aircraft of its type and size.

Fleet

As of June 2019, Comco operates 2 Boeing 757-200s, which both aircraft are operating in the defense segment of L3Harris. Both aircraft are powered by the Rolls-Royce RB-211. Until 2016, the planes used by Comco only had a black Comco lettering on the

vertical stabilizer A vertical stabilizer or tail fin is the static part of the vertical tail of an aircraft. The term is commonly applied to the assembly of both this fixed surface and one or more movable rudders hinged to it. Their role is to provide control, sta ...

, with a partial black cheatline forward of the wing and "Boeing 757" in small lettering beneath the aft windows. In 2017, the lettering was replaced by small navy and teal swoosh graphics, and the Rolls-Royce logos on the engine

nacelles A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...

were removed.

Incidents

In 2003, a Comco aircraft, registration N610G, was forced to land after being intercepted by aircraft from the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct ...

after it strayed into Indian airspace on a flight from

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

to Malé. The flight was permitted to continue after the crew were interviewed by authorities.

References

External links

JetPhotos.com – Photos taken of Comco aircraft
Airlines established in 2002 Airlines based in Montana American companies established in 2002 Boeing military aircraft Military airlines {{NorthAm-airline-stub