Does our leader need his own plane?

Prime Minister John Key and a business delegation heading to India had an unexpectedly long stopover in Australia, .

Key and the others were yesterday en route after a replacement plane picked them up from Townsville airbase in Queensland, but the delay meant the Mumbai leg of their trip was cancelled. The PM said the setback was ‘‘a little bit sub-optimal’’ but defended the air force and its plane. John Key has his own plane? I’m outraged! That’s not quite right. They are also used for other Defence Force tasks like transporting troops and providing aid relief,. He does appear to be a fan, however. Former prime minister Helen Clark only flew on them an average of twice a year during her nine years in office but Key took five trips in his first 20 months. The Defence Force did not respond to a request for more current figures. Where did the planes come from? The two Boeing 757s were purchased secondhand from Dutch airline Transavia in 2003, at a cost of $104 million. Another $117m was spent on modifying them. So what exactly went wrong? The Defence Force hasn’t yet offered a detailed explanation. Finance Minister Bill English said they required more frequent use to stay in good condition. And NZ First defence spokesman Ron Mark said the 757s flew 571 hours a year from 2013 to 2015 – about a fifth of their likely use with a commercial airline. So are these malfunctions common? Key doesn’t think so, saying the 757s had ‘‘historically...been very reliable’’ during his eight years in charge. However, there have been issues. In 2004, one was forced to land after developing a problem with its nose wheel. In 2005, one made an emergency landing in Auckland after a series of explosions shot flames from its right engine. In 2013, one made a dangerous landing in whiteout conditions on McMurdo Sound without enough fuel to return to NZ. So what are the other options? The PM does fly on commercial airlines for some trips that are too far or too difficult for the Air Force planes. However, the 757 enables him to easily bring delegations on the trips. He could charter a plane from Air NZ ... or a nondefence plane could be bought for VIP use. The public are unlikely to be on board with the idea – as Clark found out when she once suggested the idea. Maybe he could borrow Sir Peter Jackson’s $80m Gulfstream GVI G650, which can carry 18 passengers. Yeah, right. So what’s going to happen from here? Well, the planes will be replaced, but not for another five years or so, according to the latest defence white paper. So it seems a reasonable bet that Key will keep using the 757s – albeit with his fingers crossed that there are no more untimely pit stops.