Australian Government VIP Aircraft Fleet

[mmciau]

With the Government reviewing its VIP Aircraft Fleet,


Airbus A330, Boeing 777 as next VIP jet for Australian PM? - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller (http://www.ausbt.com.au/airbus-a330-boeing-777-as-next-vip-jets-for-australian-pm)


would the Boeing 787 Test Aircraft LN6 (N787ZA) be suitably priced to be considered for the VIP fleet?




Mike

[Bograt]

If it happens. Commonality with the KC30.

[aveng]

Whatever type it is - I hope they get a respectable company (that won't go out of business) to do the cabin.:ok:

[dubbleyew eight]

if I was the prime minister I'd get Dick Smith to fly me.
airservices would change their attitudes then :E

[emergency000]

And you wouldn't need to worry about costly ADS-B upgrades to your Prime Ministerial jet! :8

[TROJAN764]

if I was the prime minister I'd get Dick Smith to fly me.
airservices would change their attitudes then

If I was Prime Minister, and was forced to have Dick Smith as my pilot, then I think I would probably resign!

[ernestkgann]

330s probably a bit little.

[Cactusjack]

How about these di#khead politicians use domestic and international cattle class like everyone else? If it's good enough for us it should be good enough for them. They are always banging on about saving money so why don't they lead by example and make a sacrifice themselves, no more personal aircraft, no more limousines, no more taxpayer funded extravagance :mad:
Bring on an uprising :ok:

[donpizmeov]

Is cattle class that bit downstairs without the showers and bar? Who would want to go down there?
Grusome would sort this out for you Ernie. Let him know what you want.

[ernestkgann]

Geez you're a funny bugger Don. Old Gru's a bit busy with the golf these days. The upstairs bar might be a bit much!

[pull-up-terrain]

Why the bloody hell should us tax payers be paying for a larger aircraft so that journalists can travel with the prime minister? Shouldn't the journalists be paying for themselves to get to wherever the prime minister is going?

[Old Fella]

PULL UP -TERRAIN. Do you know they don't pay?

[Going Boeing]

When journos travel on the VIP aircraft, they get charged a near commercial rate so they aren't travelling at taxpayers expense.

[bankrunner]

I've never seen a more cheaply put together cabin than what's in the RAAF BBJs, and that was when they were new. I'd hate to see how they look inside now. The cabin on the CL604s is MUCH nicer.

The seats the journos/hangers-on sit in at the back of the BBJ are absolute rubbish. Comfort wise, the journos are be better off in economy on JQ.

[VH-Cheer Up]

Politicians using scheduled airlines?

What? Do you think this "age of entitlement is over" stuff applies to them, too?

Sheesh...

[Like This - Do That]

As a shareholder I would not be impressed to find members of a firm's leadership team sitting on their @rses in a lounge awaiting boarding. I would much rather they were getting from A to B promptly, privately, securely, discreetly. Going about the business of generating me a dividend or capital growth, not waiting for someone else's timetable to apply.

Why would I object to the nation's 'CEO', 'CFO', 'COO' et al traveling similarly? It's a poor use of their time to sit in a lounge or meaninglessly fill another 3 hours before their flight to wherever is due to depart. It astounds me that so may of us have such a big chip on the shoulder about this.

[S70IP]

Why the bloody hell should us tax payers be paying for a larger aircraft so that journalists can travel with the prime minister? Shouldn't the journalists be paying for themselves to get to wherever the prime minister is going?


That's easy to answer.

Fears For Australian Journalists and Diplomats In Indonesian Plane Crash | AustralianPolitics.com (http://australianpolitics.com/2007/03/07/fears-for-australians-in-indonesian-plane-crash.html)

[Jabawocky]

The last two posts are exactly why.

End of story.

[mickjoebill]

New government says no first class travel allowed and any offers for an upgrade to be declined.
Trips costing over $20k to be scrutinised by the top dogs.

They also require that air mile points are not to be collected, surely this is a waste of taxpayers money. Can't the air miles be collected and used to reduce price of future trips?

Allocation of Award status points is allowed.


Mickjoebill

[Going Boeing]

http://www.asdnews.com/data_news/ID53381_600.jpg

Boeing Business Jets Delivers First Two BBJ 787-8s of 2014

Boeing [NYSE: BA] Business Jets (BBJ) celebrated the first two BBJ 787-8 deliveries of 2014. The deliveries, made over the past week to separate undisclosed customers, mark the second and third BBJ 787 airplanes delivered to date.

"It's terrific to see two BBJ 787s deliver within a week," said Capt. Steve Taylor, president, Boeing Business Jets. "The BBJ 787 joins the BBJ family, a full line of the most capable airplanes in the VIP market. The 787's combination of phenomenal range, high cruise speed, low cabin altitude, big windows and ultra-quiet cabin make the 787 ideal for BBJ customers."

As awe-inspiring as its commercial counterpart, the BBJ 787 takes advantage of technological advances such as lightweight composite structures and a cabin environment designed for new heights in passenger comfort. It also features increased head room, cleaner air, enormous cargo space and breakthrough fuel efficiency. The BBJ 787-8 has a range of about 9,260 nautical miles (17,150 km).

"2014 will be a very exciting year for BBJ with many major milestones to celebrate," Taylor said. "In addition to the deliveries of three more BBJ 787-8s, the first BBJ 747-8 we delivered last year will enter into service with its completed custom interior later in the year."

The first BBJ 787-8 was delivered in December 2013. To date, customers have ordered 13 BBJ 787s, with deliveries occuring through 2018.

Boeing Business Jets delivers the airplanes to customers unpainted and without an interior. A completion center of the customer's choosing installs the jet's VIP interior.

Boeing Business Jets offers a wide variety of ultra-large-cabin, long-range airplanes perfectly suited for the private jet market. The product line includes the BBJ, BBJ 2 and BBJ 3 – high-performance derivatives of the commercially successful Next-Generation 737 airplane family and the new 737 MAX family – as well as Boeing twin-aisle airplanes including the 747-8, 767, 777 and 787.

Source : The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)

[rjtjrt]

There can be no justification whatsoever for increasing the capability of the VIP fleet when government is preaching parsimony for all else.
End of story!

[envoy]

I would much rather they were getting from A to B promptly, privately, securely, discreetly.
Spot on LTDT. :ok:

It astounds me that so may of us have such a big chip on the shoulder about this.
Indeed. It is sad to see how easily the general public is riled up by this issue - but given our national pastime of tall poppying, it is no wonder. The Press likes to stoke this occasionally by dipping into the SPA records during the biannual tabling of flight records and costs, creating stories out of nothing.

Regarding the carriage of Press on board, there is more to this than just safety - the real reason is less critical. I recall when the BBJs first came online and the space available for Press was much less than on the rickety old 707s, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth that the wrong aircraft had been purchased. The Press (at that time) were upset at their loss of access to the PM and others who were on board, the key reason for travelling on the SPA in the first place. The Indonesian tragedy was many years away at that time and far from anyone's minds - it has subsequently proven a far more compelling argument for finding a bigger airframe.

[neville_nobody]

It is ridiculous that they are flying around the world in the BBJ and it was against Air Force advice too. Our old mate Max Moore-Wilton was the one responsible for this ridiculous arrangement.

Even the Kiwis have a 757 but the press seem to forget that when they're in town. Don't see them getting into Obama about his classic fuel guzzling 747 either.

[rjtjrt]

I guess "SPA" is Special Purpose Aircraft.
Weasel words at their best, presumably coined by some PR person to obscure rather than communicate. VIP aircraft don't exist in the Australian Government.
Mustn't be straight with people, and call them what they are.
The senior politicians need a reasonable VIP aircraft, but not to emulate the US who haul press with the leader. The press can get there under their own steam. As for charging the press the equivalent of a Q fare, that is not real cost recovery. What happened to user pays, as we get to do.
If press had to pay the cost difference between a BBJ and a 777 over same journey, they would soon decide to travel commercial.
Lets see how journalistic independence handles the conflict of interest in reporting the proposed purchase of jumbo VIP aircraft, and see if they cal them Jumbo VIP aircraft?

[TBM-Legend]

There certainly was a plan for two B757 jets towards the end Keating's era but the un-losable election wiped that out...

The B707's were suffering quite a few tech issues and what brought that to a head was Keating's B707 in Darwin with a busted windshield when he was wining his way to a big deal in Malaysia. Paspaley F50 "rescued him" as the nearest RAAF F900 or B707 was half a day away in RI o CB....

[601]

The press can get there under their own steam.
or just get reports from the local media on the scene.
The so called "press gallery" has past it use by date