The Arizona Cardinals, in partnership with the team's affiliate Gridiron Air, has joined the Special Olympics Airlift and is sending more than 140 athletes and coaches from Arizona to Minneapolis for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
The contingent departed Friday on the Cardinals' Boeing 777-200ER team plane. It marks the first time in the Airlift's 40-year history that a widebody aircraft has participated in the Airlift, allowing an entire delegation of athletes and coaches to fly as one team on a single flight. The Cardinals also became the first professional sports team to offer its aircraft to transport the athletes as part of the Airlift.
The aircraft departed from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Friday morning and upon arriving in Minnesota, athletes and coaches received a ceremonial water salute and joined the broader Airlift welcome. The plane will bring the contingent home to Arizona on Saturday, June 27. Cardinals Cheerleaders and team mascot Big Red attended the sendoff event in Phoenix, celebrating and encouraging the athletes and coaches.
Titled "DOVE777," the Cardinals aircraft differs from the traditional fleet of Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker aircrafts that define the Airlift. The transport aircrafts are called "Doves" as a symbol of peace and the Special Olympics Airlift is the world's largest peacetime airlift, showcasing the power of aviation collaboration and community spirit.
Supporting the state's special needs community is one of the pillars of the Arizona Cardinals Foundation and Special Olympics Arizona was one of the four primary beneficiaries of the inaugural "Cardinals Climb" that raised $2 million earlier this year.
ABOUT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AIRLIFT: The Special Olympics Airlift brings together Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker customers, along with partners across the aviation industry, to remove barriers and ensure athletes from across the country can take part in the USA Games. Since the Airlift's inception in 1987, this remarkable initiative has transported more than 10,000 athletes and coaches to the Special Olympics USA Games. For many, the journey is more than travel — it is the moment they arrive knowing they belong. Learn more about the airlift at https://airlift.txtav.com/
