Easy, Boris... you won’t be getting a jet

PM slaps down Johnson’s bid

THERESA May has slapped down Boris Johnson’s arrogant bid for his own private “Brexit plane”.

The Foreign Secretary sparked outrage after he called for a new brightly coloured aircraft to help him sell “Global Britain” abroad.

Mr Johnson complained the RAF Airbus A330 Voyager jet – shared by the PM, senior Cabinet members and the Royal Family – “never seems to be available”.

And he suggested its drab grey colour-scheme undermined its impact as a travelling symbol of Britain.

But Downing Street yesterday grounded Mr Johnson’s jet hopes, saying there were “no plans for the current transport situation to change”.

The No10 source also pointed out the grey colour was because the aircraft, a military adaptation of an Airbus A330, was still used “operationally to do important things like refuelling” over war zones. Asked on a trip to South America if he would like to have a “Brexit plane”, Mr Johnson had told reporters: “Look, I’m on record, I definitely think we should have a flagship. If there’s a way of doing it that is not exorbitantly expensive, then yes, I think we probably do need something.” The 58-seat Voyager continues to conduct air-to-air refuelling missions for the RAF when not in VIP use and retains its military livery. Mr Johnson said: “What I will say about Voyager, I think it’s great, but it seems to be very difficult to get hold of. I don’t know who uses it, but it never seems to be available.” But the PM’s official spokesman said yesterday: “There are flights available for ministers when they need them.”

DOWNING Street visitors joked this jet must have been left outside No10 for Boris Johnson to collect on his return from South America. But the Hawk T1 replica of a Red Arrow aerobatic display plane was parked outside the PM’s house yesterday to mark the RAF Centenary.

GROUNDED Boris Johnson