Hillary Clinton has kept the press at arm's length throughout her 2016 presidential campaign. But as of Monday,??? ?? reporters can approach the Democratic nominee while 30,000 feet in the air.
The Clinton campaign unveiled a new Boeing 737 plane on Labor Day with Clinton's slogan "Stronger Together" plastered across the side and her "H" logo painted on the tail.
SEE ALSO: FBI dumps results of Clinton's email investigation onlineThe former U.S. secretary of state was scheduled to fly on Monday with her press corps to campaign events in Ohio and Illinois, the Associated Press reported.
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Just before takeoff, @HillaryClinton comes back to say hello to the press: pic.twitter.com/twhwMnmCJq
— Hannah Chanpong (@hannahfc) September 5, 2016
Hillary Clinton's new plane, in Westchester County, NY. pic.twitter.com/zotIRWf7Fc
— John Wagner (@WPJohnWagner) September 5, 2016
Until now, Clinton mainly traveled by private jet, breaking with the common presidential campaign practice of flying in the same aircraft as her traveling press corps.
Republican nominee Donald Trump has similarly kept reporters, photographers and videographers from joining him aboard Trump Force One.
Clinton and Trump's approaches are historically unusual. In previous presidential elections -- dating back to at least the 1960s -- candidates would regularly fly to events with reporters.
Awesome: @amychozick's looking at Clinton's new campaign/press plane on @nytimes Snapchat https://t.co/BLmLScyO4L pic.twitter.com/vyp9HqJepl
— Michael Gold (@migold) September 5, 2016
Jim Rutenberg, a media columnist for the New York Times, said that allowing press on planes is less about gathering colorful anecdotes and more about the candidate's future transparency as president.
This is about something much bigger than eyewitness accounts and plane rides. It’s about how much we want to know about each candidate’s plans for the White House, and how open and accessible we want them to be as president. And ultimately, it’s about whether we truly believe in the premise that transparency is vital for democracy.
Clinton's shift on Monday is particularly significant because the Democratic nominee hasn't held a formal news conference with journalists since December 2015 in Iowa, according to the AP.
Trump has gone several steps beyond that: He's banned the Washington Post, Univision, Buzzfeed and other media outlets from receiving press credentials to cover his campaign events, including news conferences.