Sorry Chaps it is about bl**dy time
You only have to go to Rome Ciampino to see the amount of Italian A319-320's and other bigger a/c for Italian heads of state.
The head of state and the head of government need a hassle free, secure and less time consuming way to travel. Globalization is changing things considerably and the PM, whoever he/she might be! Need's to be able to travel for all sort of reasons. The same go's for the Queen.
To be turning up in a DASH 8 on hire and all other kinds of stuff is a joke when Armenia or some other country is turning up in a shiny B737 or A320. No offense to Armenia it is just we are talking about a country that sits in the G8 group of largest economies in the world here.
The 146's have to land every 1000 or so nautical miles and you need something long range. I don't know what it will be but it should be a A320, 330/340 or a B737, 777 combination.
I don't think the cost of replacing the 146's has been taken into account and it should be. It is pot calling the kettle black with the conservatives having a go about this. We already know about Mr Cameron's appetite for travel with his trip to the Glacier in Norway.
How many 100's of Easy and Ryanair 737's and A319's are traveling round carrying people to Spain for nothing? If we are worried about pollution we should compare that to one or two 73's for a head of state. There is no comparison really.
Even Sweden, the bastion of Liberalism and centre left politics has a head of state aircraft.
Funny enough, Air Force One was on London upper frequency yesterday evening. How many people on frequency were looking out of the window for a glimpse? It has nothing to do with Bush or Blair it has everything to do with the reasons given above but also the symbol of a country putting it's best foot forward. Is that so shameful an agenda?