Bush jet 'damaged Canberra runway'
May 23, 2006 - 11:56AM
US President George Bush's aircraft , Air Force One, damaged the runway when it landed at Canberra airport in 2003, leaving Australian taxpayers to pick up the bill, a parliamentary committee has been told.
The high-tech Boeing 747 jumbo jet, dubbed the flying White House, was much heavier than most aircraft that land on the runway and caused damage to the pavement.
Other military and VIP planes had also damaged the runway but the visit by Air Force One worried the airport owners to the point where they raised concerns about the weight of the jet with the federal government.
In response to questioning from opposition transport spokesman Kerry O'Brien, a parliamentary committee today heard the government had agreed to fix the runway.
Department of Transport and Regional Services deputy secretary Mike Mrdak (Mrdak) said the commonwealth did make "arrangements" to fix any damage done to the runway.
Those arrangements were delivered in last year's budget, with the government providing $28.5 million for runway strengthening at Canberra.
Bureaucrats fronting the committee denied it was solely the visit of Air Force One that had forced the strengthening work.
Senator O'Brien then asked why no heavy jets had landed on the runway since the visit by President Bush.
"It's interesting that after the Bush visit the dispensations (for heavy jet landings) had been discontinued," Senator O'Brien said.
Mr Mrdak replied: "There's a point at which the surface limitations come into affect and the airport operator does not wish to see further pavement damage and that was reached from that time on."
Canberra airport is the only airport in Australia to receive federal funding for runway strengthening.
AAP