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New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hepkins He took two Air Force jets with him on a flight to China in case the plane he was traveling in broke down.
Hipkins flew into Beijing on Sunday in a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757, at the head of a delegation of company executives in the hope of expanding trade with the largest export market of his country. On Monday in Wellington, the Prime Minister’s Office said a second 757 had escorted the first flight as far as Manila in the Philippines, to act as a back-up in case of any mechanical problems.
Given the importance of the flight and the long distance involved, a company spokesperson said, “It was deemed warranted to have a backup aircraft to ensure mission success for our larger trading partner.” “757s are about 30 years old, nearing the end of their economic lives, and are scheduled to be replaced between 2028 and 2030.”
Opposition parties said the need to take in a second plane was an environmental embarrassment to the country and illustrated the poor state of its defense forces.
“If we have a climate emergency, it doesn’t make sense to have another 30-year-old 757 behind,” Christopher Luxon, leader of the main opposition National Party, told NewstalkZB.
David Seymour, leader of the ACT Libertarian Party, claimed that the amount of CO2 emitted from the extra plane “would be the equivalent of someone driving a Ford Ranger 606 times the length of New Zealand”.
“Some people may bring a spare phone charger with them while traveling abroad in case it gets lost or breaks. Chris Hepkins needs to bring a spare Boeing with him,” said Seymour. “The old New Zealand air fleet has become a national embarrassment.”
The old New Zealand Air Force fleet has a track record of being stranded by politicians due to mechanical problems.
Last year, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was stranded in Antarctica when an Air Force C-130 transport plane crashed. She had to be flown home on an Italian plane.
When Ardern visited the US earlier in 2022 to meet with President Joe Biden, her Boeing jet broke down in Washington and she had to take off on a commercial flight instead. Another collapse last year left Defense Minister Benny Henari and a delegation of 30 stranded in the Solomon Islands.
In 2016, then-Prime Minister John Key was stuck in the Australian city of Townsville overnight after the 757 carrying a trade delegation to India crashed. The Air Force sent a second plane, and Key Group had to shorten their visit to India by one day.
A spokesman for Hepkins said the second aircraft would now fly to Darwin, Australia to “provide return flight support for the primary aircraft if required”.
Hipkins flew into Beijing on Sunday in a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757, at the head of a delegation of company executives in the hope of expanding trade with the largest export market of his country. On Monday in Wellington, the Prime Minister’s Office said a second 757 had escorted the first flight as far as Manila in the Philippines, to act as a back-up in case of any mechanical problems.
Given the importance of the flight and the long distance involved, a company spokesperson said, “It was deemed warranted to have a backup aircraft to ensure mission success for our larger trading partner.” “757s are about 30 years old, nearing the end of their economic lives, and are scheduled to be replaced between 2028 and 2030.”
Opposition parties said the need to take in a second plane was an environmental embarrassment to the country and illustrated the poor state of its defense forces.
“If we have a climate emergency, it doesn’t make sense to have another 30-year-old 757 behind,” Christopher Luxon, leader of the main opposition National Party, told NewstalkZB.
David Seymour, leader of the ACT Libertarian Party, claimed that the amount of CO2 emitted from the extra plane “would be the equivalent of someone driving a Ford Ranger 606 times the length of New Zealand”.
“Some people may bring a spare phone charger with them while traveling abroad in case it gets lost or breaks. Chris Hepkins needs to bring a spare Boeing with him,” said Seymour. “The old New Zealand air fleet has become a national embarrassment.”
The old New Zealand Air Force fleet has a track record of being stranded by politicians due to mechanical problems.
Last year, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was stranded in Antarctica when an Air Force C-130 transport plane crashed. She had to be flown home on an Italian plane.
When Ardern visited the US earlier in 2022 to meet with President Joe Biden, her Boeing jet broke down in Washington and she had to take off on a commercial flight instead. Another collapse last year left Defense Minister Benny Henari and a delegation of 30 stranded in the Solomon Islands.
In 2016, then-Prime Minister John Key was stuck in the Australian city of Townsville overnight after the 757 carrying a trade delegation to India crashed. The Air Force sent a second plane, and Key Group had to shorten their visit to India by one day.
A spokesman for Hepkins said the second aircraft would now fly to Darwin, Australia to “provide return flight support for the primary aircraft if required”.
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