Faulty luxury planes ferrying Oz VIP’s living only on hope and prayer
January 22nd, 2011 - 4:50 pm ICT by ANI
Canberra, Jan 22 (ANI): The fleet of luxury planes that fly Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and other VIPs in the country and abroad, has been reportedly facing mechanical faults, resulting in cancellation of flights.
According to news.com.au, despite costing taxpayers 60 million dollars a year, the five luxury planes used by Gillard, Governor-General Quentin Bryce and others, have experienced a number of equipment breakdowns while pilots have missed runways and flown off-track.
In November 2009, Defence Minister Stephen Smith had faced a mid-air emergency situation, and his jet was forced to land at Jakarta after instrument failure on a Singapore to Perth flight.
Weeks before Julia Gillard took over from Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister of Australia, the latter was also reportedly forced to abort his flight from Perth to Queensland at the last minute when an oil leak was found.
Secret documents dated August 2009, obtained under Freedom of Information log, have records of at least 20 incidents involving the VIP fleet, the report said.
Several ministers have reportedly expressed anger after the two Boeing 737 and three Bombardier Challenger 604 planes that carry senior ministers, Governor-General Quentin Bryce and even the royal family during their Australian visits, suffered technical failures.
In February 2010, the Commanding Officer of Defence’s 84 Wing, responsible for the VIP fleet, wrote that there had been “multiple individual” navigation failures involving the three smaller Challenger aircraft.
“I have some concerns that we seem to be having task delays/cancellations … on an all too regular basis,” he wrote. (ANI)
- Oz PM Gillard has election winning lead - Jul 18, 2010
- Julia Gillard becomes first Oz female PM as Rudd steps down in tears - Jun 24, 2010
- Julia Gillard becomes Australia's first female Prime Minister - Jun 24, 2010
- Tasmania creates history, elects first female premier - Jan 24, 2011
- CHOGM call to end forced marriages - Oct 29, 2011
- Gillard announces Aug 21 polls, seeks mandate 'to move Australia forward' - Jul 17, 2010
- Qantas strike grounds CHOGM heads - Oct 30, 2011
- Gillard likely to meet Oz Governor General to set election date - Jul 16, 2010
- Oz Government takes record 30-mn dollars worth of VIP flights - Jun 18, 2009
- India readies to select mid-air refueler - Mar 21, 2012
- Obama to visit Australia only for 24 hours - Mar 16, 2010
- Oz PM will not be allowed to address Kiwi Parliament - Feb 14, 2011
- Australia to hold elections August 21 - Jul 17, 2010
- Australia to hold 9/11 ceremony - Sep 08, 2011
- Julia Gillard's RAAF pilots suspended following drunken escapade - Dec 24, 2010
Tags: australian prime minister, boeing 737, bombardier challenger 604, challenger aircraft, commanding officer, defence minister, freedom of information, information log, instrument failure, julia gillard, kevin rudd, mechanical faults, mid air, news com au, oil leak, prime minister of australia, runways, secret documents, stephen smith, technical failures