Trump gets grounded jet flying again by selling it to himself

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Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump cut short the process of re-registering his formerly grounded private airplane by selling it to himself, the New York Times reported.

The registration on Trump’s 1997 eight-seat Cessna Citation jet that the billionaire had been using to shuttle between campaign stops expired January 31, leading the Federal Aviation Administration to ground the aircraft last week. It had been registered to DJT Operations CX, a Trump-owned L.L.C.

Despite the simple $5 fee to renew jet registration, getting through the application process can take a while. The FAA’s backlog for re-registering stretches back to requests that were filed in early March, the agency told the paper.

To avoid the wait, Trump sold the aircraft to a newly-founded Delaware company called DT Endeavor I, which also happens to be owned by the real estate mogul. The transfer of ownership meant Trump would be able to crisscross the skies much faster than had he waited for his registration renewal to process.

The jet had been grounded since Trump returned home from a Buffalo rally prior to the New York primary. On Monday, Trump was already using the jet to fly to rallies in Rhode Island and eastern Pennsylvania.

Trump also owns his trademark Boeing 757, and its documents are up-to-date.