Opposition leaders in New Zealand have attacked Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for carrying a backup jet on his visit to China this week, citing the additional greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced amid the climate crisis.
Dependability Concerns With the Main Jet
In a statement released by the Prime Minister's office on Tuesday, June 27, using a second aircraft was necessary because of recurrent dependability concerns with the present defense force jet. The plane apparently stranded several of the country's prior leaders during earlier international travels.
According to CNN, a spokesperson said that if the main plane transporting Hipkins and a trade delegation had mechanical difficulties, a "backup aircraft" was pre-positioned in Manila, Philippines.
"Given the importance of the trade mission, the long distance involved, and the large size of the traveling business delegation and media contingent, it was considered that a backup aircraft was justified to ensure the mission's success to our largest trade partner," the spokesperson stated.
From June 25 through the 30th, Hipkins will be heading a company delegation of 29 people to Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai to increase exports with China.
The prime minister's representative also told CNN that the government could save much money by utilizing Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) planes instead of paying for a private one.
Aircraft Failures on NZ Leaders' Key Journeys
Reportedly, former New Zealand prime ministers have suffered political fallout following aircraft malfunctions during important travels.
RNZ reported that in 2016, former leader John Key shortened his trip to India when the RNZAF Boeing 757 jet transporting him and his team broke down during a stopover in Australia.
After the computer malfunctioned on the 757 Air Force jet that was supposed to return then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her staff home three years later, they were forced to take a commercial flight from Melbourne to Auckland.
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Ecological Responsible Amid Climate Crisis
Chris Luxon, head of the opposition National Party, told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that Hipkins' use of two aircraft was not ecologically responsible. "We have a climate change challenge, I thought, in this country - so sending an empty 30-year-old 757 following a full one doesn't seem a good move."
Right-wing ACT Party leader David Seymour made an assertion on Monday, June 26, on his official Facebook page that the additional flight would produce as much pollution as three round trips to the moon in a Ford Ranger.
"New Zealand's embarrassingly ancient Defense Force planes are so decrepit that the PM had to bring a spare on his trip to China in case one of them breaks down on a stopover," Seymour wrote. He deemed the decision to send an extra plane to be "wasteful" and "reckless."
