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London: Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to scrap plans for a 70-seater Airbus for ministers and the royal family.
A study by the Department for Transport has concluded that the £100m (Dh738m) cost of "Blair Force One", together with another aircraft, did not provide value for money.
Tony Blair had sanctioned the plan in one of his last acts as prime minister.
It was to be purchased on a £10m (Dh73.8m) a-year leasing arrangement and would have been for the exclusive use of the Prime Minister, senior ministers and members of the royal family.
A report last year by Sir Peter Gershon recommended buying an Airbus for long-haul flights. But the Department for Transport (DfT) effectively killed off the plan after concluding it could be cheaper to carry on chartering planes while also using the RAF Squadron.
"We are looking for better value for money and a more environmentally friendly arrangement than recommended by Gershon," said a source at DfT.
Unlikely
The DfT's report, which was expected to be published yesterday, means it is unlikely the Prime Minister will press ahead with Blair Force One.
But plans for a 15-seat executive jet for short-haul journeys have not yet been ruled out.
When he was Chancellor, Brown had been sceptical about the cost. Downing Street is understood to want ministers to make greater use of trains for visits within the UK and to mainland Europe to demonstrate the Government's green credentials.
The Prime Minister led by example by going to the European summit in Brussels by Eurostar. Blair almost always flew to the Belgian capital.
Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, said: "Let us hope the excesses of the Blair regime are unwinding.
"Blair Force One was never going to be value for money. Instead it was a very expensive status symbol for the Prime Minister paid for by the public," Baker said.
The ageing fleet of the Royal Squadron is now expected to be kept on. Based at RAF Northolt, it has two British Aerospace 146s and six smaller jets as well as three helicopters.
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