BBJ VIP Fleet Review

[Stuart Trevena]

Hi All,

According to the Hearld Sun - The Prime Minister is reviewing options of replacing the Current VIP Fleet with larger Aircraft better suited to the current / future needs.

The Article is here

Prime Minister Tony Abbott seeks media deal over VIP jets

By IAN McPHEDRAN National Defence Writer•
News Limited Network •
January 01, 20147:44PM

THE Abbott Government will seek a truce with media outlets and taxpayers so it can buy or lease larger VIP jets to fly politicians, officials and journalists overseas on the same aircraft.

The bigger RAAF planes would also be fitted with the latest in global communications systems ensuring the Prime Minister is never out of touch with his cabinet colleagues and key officials.

At present the nation's leader is incommunicado whenever he travels on a VIP jet.

The $600 million lease on the current RAAF fleet of two Boeing 737 business jets and three smaller Challenger 604 aircraft will expire next year and the government will seek agreement from media companies to limit criticism of any decision to opt for bigger planes.

Any negative publicity would be limited to plush add ons such as gold taps or marble sinks.

The Boeing 737 BBJ aircraft are operated by 34 Squadron at Fairbairn in Canberra and are used by the Prime Minister and the Governor-General for official overseas trips, but they are too small to carry a full complement of press gallery journalists and crews.

The aircraft also lack modern day in-flight communications, such as those fitted to the US President's jumbo jet Air Force One, allowing leaders to stay in touch in transit.

The BBJs were leased by the Howard government after then secretary of prime minister and cabinet, Max "The Axe" Moore-Wilton, convinced the government to force the media to make their own way to overseas events.

In 2007 media companies threatened to ignore official overseas visits altogether in the wake of the deaths of five Australians, including journalist Morgan Mellish, when the Garuda Airlines plane carrying reporters and officials crashed in Indonesia during an official visit by then ministers Alexander Downer and Phillip Ruddock.

"Our current position and that of Fairfax is that our editors and bureau chiefs will not send correspondents on commercial aircraft in countries where air safety is an issue, if there is no room for them on official aircraft," then News Limited chief John Hartigan said at the time.

Both Mr Howard and his successor Kevin Rudd pledged to take action but nothing has happened in the six years since the tragedy.

The concerns were supported by Defence Chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston who said the BBJ was just too small and he urged the then Rudd government to go for a bigger aircraft.

"It is imperative we look after our journalists in places where the airline standards are perhaps not as high as they are in our own country," Houston said.

According to senior government sources the new plan would involve aircraft such as the Airbus A-330 or Boeing 777 that can fly hundreds of passengers over long distances with fewer stops.

The RAAF already operates Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker/transport planes that can be fitted with seats to carry more than 300 people.

Both US giant Boeing and European maker Airbus would be likely to offer highly competitive deals to secure the plum deal for the VIP jets.

The Boeing 777 and Airbus A-330 each cost about $250 million and both can carry in excess of 200 passengers in VIP configuration.

I did suggest this over 5 years ago, but was shouted down on this forum and or Jetspotter.com.

My current suggestions would be a B777/200LR or B787-800 if Space permits. This would give Non Stop to 95% of the World - London and New York, Non Stop.
Failing that B777-300ER.
From Airbus, the options are ACJ350 or A340 for the Range, both are able to do 18,000kms or A330.

It gets back to cost, but also do they want a Proven Jet already in Field or New Jet yet to come of the line.

Stuart