Senior ministers set to travel in government-owned aircraft after ‘grossly wasteful’ contract axed

Senior ministers set to travel in government-owned aircraft after ‘grossly wasteful’ contract axed

  • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
    111·
    22 days ago

    In 2023, Mr Sunak reversed an initial decision to stop leasing the two Agusta Westland helicopters.

    Senior ministers will instead use government-owned vehicles such as RAF helicopters when needed for operational reasons

    It looks like these Sloane guys operate AgustaWestland 109E helicopters.

    https://www.sloanehelicopters.com/flight-operations/32-squadron

    So what are these RAF helicopters that will replace them?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_United_Kingdom_military_aircraft

    They do have one category there of RAF helicopters for transport of government ministers

    Leonardo AW109SP Used for transportation of senior military commanders or government ministers.[31]

    I mean, that’s…the next model of the same helicopter. Is that actually less-expensive?

    • ZapBeebz_@lemmy.world
      3·
      22 days ago

      A “benefit” of using RAF helos is it the flight hours. Pilots typically need a certain number of flight hours every month to maintain their certs, so they’ll likely be flying anyways. Having them fly senior ministers around instead of other training flights technically is free, as the flights were going to happen anyways.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
      10·
      22 days ago

      I mean, that’s…the next model of the same helicopter. Is that actually less-expensive?

      I would guess the government doesn’t need to profit from buying flights from itself. A private company certainly isn’t going to provide service without a percentage of profit on top charged to the government.

    • Deceptichum@quokk.auEnglish
      191·
      22 days ago

      Pretty sure the expensive part is hiring a 3rd party to do the job instead of themselves, not the operating costs of the vehicle.

  • ShareMySims@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    311·
    22 days ago

    There is no justification in a country this size for them to be traveling by air at all unless it’s an emergency where they’re needed somewhere absolutely ASAP, or they need to travel directly from one end of the country to the other, which is almost never.

    Just one more way in which those in power separate themselves from those they rule over.

  • bad_news
    6·
    22 days ago

    I guess this is the one Tory policy they aren’t onboard with