If you are a billionaire, it is standard to insist that your private jet is bigger. For prime ministers, however, it seems more politically appropriate to say otherwise.
That was the story when Boris Johnson met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for a bilateral meeting on the first day of the G7 conference of the major industrialized nations in southern Germany.
Both recently arrived on grueling night flights from a British community summit in Rwanda, with Johnson noting that as the couple sat down to talk, shortly before reporters and television crews were taken out.
“I saw Canada Force One – it’s a big plane,” Johnson continued, referring to Trudeau’s official plane, better known as the Can Force One.
“It’s not as big as yours,” Trudeau said, politely protesting in response to his British counterpart. “No, ours is very, very modest,” Johnson insisted.
The truth is that both were correct, depending on how you judge it. Trudeau’s official aircraft is the Airbus CC-150 Polaris, a Canadian military variant of the relatively old A310-300, a model in operation for almost four decades.
At 47 meters, it is 2 meters longer than the plane that Johnson arrived on, but this is only part of the story.
Johnson’s official aircraft is the Voyager, an RAF aircraft used as a tanker for airborne loading and equipped for use by VIP passengers. Based on the Airbus A330 over long distances, it is not longer than 60 meters.
However, the plane is also used for the royal family, which has an advantage, and Prince Charles was also at the summit of the British Community, which means that the plane is still in Kigali.
Johnson has access to a charter plane similarly painted in union flag colors. This is another Airbus, the A321, which is only 45 meters long.
Trudeau, or at least his successor, may be able to plead for modesty for so long. Plans are being made to replace its 30-year-old official aircraft at a significant cost, although this is expected to take some time.
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BST
Add Comment