Jeff Landry, the 57th Governor of Louisiana, travels across the state using a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft owned by the Louisiana State Police. This aircraft was purchased in September 2024 for approximately $5.5 million and is used for executive transport, including flying Governor Landry to various cities within the state.
The Pilatus PC-12, registered as N57265 with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was produced in 2019 and has a serial number of 1845. It is based in Baton Rouge and frequently flies to destinations such as Lafayette, New Orleans, and Lake Charles.
Captain Nick Manale from the Louisiana State Police explained that previous governors relied on two Bell 407 helicopters that were nearly twenty years old and often grounded due to maintenance issues. He stated, "[T]he aircraft are so old and some avionics manufacturers no longer support the model." The operating costs for the new Pilatus PC-12 are expected to be lower than those of the older helicopters.