The article from today's Canberra Times for those interested:
VIP fleet will remain at Fairbairn
By PETER CLACK
Saturday, 14 September 2002
The Federal Government's new VIP fleet is to remain based at RAAF Fairbairn and will be housed in the biggest aircraft hangar built in the national capital.
The $8 million 6800 sq m hangar will be built on the site of the former 1940 bomb aimers training building, which is to be demolished.
It is understood the Defence Department recently renewed its 12-month lease for the former RAAF base. The base had been earmarked for an aircraft simulator training centre for Impulse Airlines before the airline was absorbed by Qantas.
The first two business jets, both modified Boeing 747s, have already arrived - one of them came on Thursday - along with one of three Challenger 604s from Canada.
But the fleet is out on the tarmac and in the weather until the new hangar is finished in the middle of next year.
The new hangar is to be built by the Capital Airport Group, owner of Canberra Airport and the Fairbairn site.
The cost of leasing and maintenance for the new fleet is about $474 million over 13 years. Servicing costs are expected to be $90 million.
The VIP fleet will be crewed by the RAAF's 34 Squadron.
The airport's projects director, Ben Rayner, said yesterday that Defence had looked at its options for the VIP fleet and decided it must be based in Canberra in order to provide services for the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Governor-General.
The base lost its helicopter training fleet at Christmas and no final decision had been made about the VIP fleet.
Mr Rayner said the new facility would provide a hangar capable of holding the two 747s and three Challengers, which replace the formerly leased Falcon 900s, which were in the process of being sold after 12 years of service.
The first 747 and the Challenger had arrived about six weeks ago and the second 747 on Thursday.
The hangar would be 97m wide and 23m high, 65 per cent bigger than the hangar at the Brindabella Business Park.
It was big enough for two aircraft to receive maintenance at the same time.
It would have a heated floor, workshop and massive imported doors, built to allow one to remain closed while aircraft enter or leave.
The hangar would contain extra seating and fuel tanks.
The future of the former bomb aimers building had been widely debated among all concerned authorities because of its heritage values. But the building contains asbestos cement sheeting and could not be relocated. The new hangar could not be built elsewhere at the airport because it needed to be close to other important RAAF facilities.
Mr Rayner said the new building activities would create more jobs in the construction industry. Work was expected to start shortly.
He said the RAAF had sought to extend its lease beyond next May.
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I wonder if the writer was confused with 747s and 737s?