Charlie Kirk's Casket Flies To Arizona On Air Force 2 With Vice President Vance

4:56 PM PT -- Air Force Two has just landed in Arizona after a short flight from Utah ... with Vice President J.D. Vance helping bring Charlie Kirk's body and casket to his home state.

The casket was just unloaded from the plane upon landing in Phoenix.

Charlie's widow, Erika, was spotted walking down the stairs from the plane holding hands with Vance's wife, Second Lady Usha Vance.

The casket is now being transported through Phoenix in a white hearse, with a motorcade following behind.

Charlie Kirk's body is officially on its way to Arizona ... 'cause new photos show the conservative commentator's body being flown to his home state on Air Force Two.

Vice President J.D. Vance just took off from Utah after Charlie's body and casket were loaded onto the plane.

Charlie's casket was transported in a Cadillac hearse to an airfield where AF2 was waiting to take him to his home state.

Vance and Kirk were close and the veep posted a long tribute to Charlie in the wake of Wednesday's assassination.

As you know ... Kirk was shot and killed while participating in a Q&A session with students on Utah Valley University's campus.

Authorities are still searching for the shooter, and they released a picture of a person of interest they're still trying to identify.

We obtained video showing the person of interest heading to campus before the shooting ... and he appears to be concealing a weapon.

Drone footage captured the campus quad after it was evacuated ... with the abandoned pop-up tent and debris littering the ground around where the shooter killed Charlie.

The ATF sent out a bulletin to its agents Thursday alleging cartridges recovered at the scene were covered in pro-transgender and antifascist messages. Kirk gained recognition for his regular condemnations of transgender people.