Catchy name....
New aircraft for Blair and Queen
Press Association
Tuesday June 20, 2006 5:58 PM
Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Queen are to get two dedicated aircraft to fly them on official visits at a cost of £12.3 million-a-year, Downing Street confirmed.
No 10 pre-empted a recommendation to be made next week by Sir Peter Gershon, tasked with looking into the costs of ministerial travel, confirming details of his proposals which officials said would be accepted.
One aircraft is likely to be a Boeing 737 - capable of seating between 85 and 215 passengers - and the other a smaller executive jet.
Both will be used aircraft rather than new and will be on permanent lease to the Government, enabling them to be configured for security, communications and comfort in a way present short-term chartered aircraft cannot be.
Current charter arrangements cost £9.5 million-a-year and a senior No 10 source said that after savings the total net increased cost is expected to be £1.5 million per annum, after some savings have been made.
There could be further savings as the leasing arrangements came into play, said the source.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said later that the initial cost increase may be only £1.2 million-a-year.
Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives criticised news of the planes - which will inevitably be dubbed Blair Force One. But as they will not come into service until late 2007 or early 2008 Mr Blair is likely to have little - if any - use of them before he steps down.
"This is for his successors," said the senior Downing Street source, adding that the current ad-hoc chartering system was "inefficient, becoming increasingly costly and not very secure".
New aircraft for Blair and Queen
Press Association
Tuesday June 20, 2006 5:58 PM
Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Queen are to get two dedicated aircraft to fly them on official visits at a cost of £12.3 million-a-year, Downing Street confirmed.
No 10 pre-empted a recommendation to be made next week by Sir Peter Gershon, tasked with looking into the costs of ministerial travel, confirming details of his proposals which officials said would be accepted.
One aircraft is likely to be a Boeing 737 - capable of seating between 85 and 215 passengers - and the other a smaller executive jet.
Both will be used aircraft rather than new and will be on permanent lease to the Government, enabling them to be configured for security, communications and comfort in a way present short-term chartered aircraft cannot be.
Current charter arrangements cost £9.5 million-a-year and a senior No 10 source said that after savings the total net increased cost is expected to be £1.5 million per annum, after some savings have been made.
There could be further savings as the leasing arrangements came into play, said the source.
Mr Blair's official spokesman said later that the initial cost increase may be only £1.2 million-a-year.
Both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives criticised news of the planes - which will inevitably be dubbed Blair Force One. But as they will not come into service until late 2007 or early 2008 Mr Blair is likely to have little - if any - use of them before he steps down.
"This is for his successors," said the senior Downing Street source, adding that the current ad-hoc chartering system was "inefficient, becoming increasingly costly and not very secure".
