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"or worse some rag tag foreign charter (most recently from Angola FFS!)"

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ShotOne. Please could you elucidate to the details of the PM's most recent chartered flight. Which Angolan rag-tag outfit was flying him? Where was the trip to/from?

We could debate the merits or otherwise of improving VIP transport using RAF or commercial aircraft but that's not the real issue here. According to the BBC and others in the mainstream media, a "source" has said that the A330 Voyager is only going to cost £2,000 per hour to operate. I have a topic in the Spectator's Balcony that tries to identify the true cost per flying hour which is massively higher than this. The thing I object to is not the provision of a sensible VIP capability. I agree with those that argue that provision needs to be improved. What I strongly object to is the dishonesty in reporting the true cost and the fact that the media are apparently relying upon some un-named "source" for this information. In my experience, when un-named sources are quoted this usually means that the information has been leaked by the government but they don't want to be associated with it because they know it's a lie. Meanwhile, the mainstream media reports it verbatim and doesn't think to question it. The government gets its propaganda message out and there is plausible deniability if anyone is smart enough to spot the lie. This is what allegedly passes as democratic accountability and a free media in the UK these days.

An alternative perception.....possibly missed by most on here.

Steve Bell on David Cameron's personal jet ? cartoon | Comment is free | The Guardian

However, an ATP can carry 7 / 8 LD3's.....cheaper to operate as well....albeit when actually serviceable. :E

Flymee, the PM Flew with SonAir, a subsidiary of Sonangol, an Angolan state owned company (investigated for a "missing" 20 billion oil revenues but that's another story) to Jakarta, Indonesia, April 2012. Purpose of flight "to fly the flag for Britain"