The New Zealand Prime Minister’s official plane is so prone to breaking down that officials have sent an empty back-up jet to ensure Chris Hipkins does not get stranded in China.
The ageing Boeing 757, known as Betty, is one of two such aircraft used by New Zealand’s leaders.
Officials were quick to point out they had sent the plane’s twin only as far as Manila, about 80% of the distance from Wellington to Beijing, where Mr Hipkins is leading a trade delegation.
Back in New Zealand, deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni was left to explain the situation.
“If we didn’t have a back-up plan and something did happen, and of course we hope it won’t, then not only would they be stranded in China, but the cost that that would incur — in terms of accommodation and trying to, at the last minute, organise some kind of plan to get them back — would outweigh having a back-up aircraft waiting somewhere just in case,” she said.
The twin Royal New Zealand Air Force planes that transport prime ministers are about 30 years old and are due to be replaced by 2030. Over the years, they have regularly broken down.
In 2016, then-prime minister John Key was on his way to India with a delegation when they got stuck in Australia until a back-up plane was sent from New Zealand. Mr Key was forced to cancel the Mumbai leg of his trip, a situation he described as “sub-optimal”.
Ms Sepuloni said she did not think the plane posed a physical danger to Mr Hipkins or the 80 people travelling with him.
“My understanding is there hasn’t been any event mid-air, or whilst in transit, that should cause any concern,” she said.
Political rivals were quick to jump on the situation.
David Seymour, leader of the opposition ACT party, said: “This government declared a climate emergency and says we need to deal seriously with China.
“This one gesture has made a joke of both the government’s climate emergency and its will to be taken seriously by a country that has an expanding blue-water navy in our backyard.”
Ms Sepuloni acknowledged the situation was not ideal.
“We recognise, yes, our kit needs to be updated,” she said.
“And so there’s a plan in place for doing that. We’re just not at the point where that’s happening right now.”
