The PM’s plane is part of a fleet of five Airbus 310-300s and it is expected to cost from $1 billion to nearly $5 billion to replace all the aging planes

Government officials are considering speeding up plans to replace the aircraft the prime minister uses to fly around the world, after a week in which several problems hit the more than 30-year-old jets.

The prime minister’s plane is part of a fleet of five Airbus 310-300s and it is expected to cost from $1 billion to nearly $5 billion to replace all the aging planes.

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Of the five planes only one is typically used for the prime minister, with two others used mostly for troop transportation. Two of the planes have been converted into aerial refueling tankers.

The prime minister’s usual plane, known as CC-15001 or Can Force One, was damaged in October when it was being moved out of a hangar at CFB Trenton. Because of the hangar crash, another plane from the fleet was used to take Justin Trudeau to London for the NATO summit last week. But it was later found to have an engine problem and a third jet had to be used to bring the prime minister back to Canada.

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According to Lt.-Col. Steve Neta, the air force’s director of public affairs, the damaged plane should be back in service in August 2020. The plane suffered “significant structural damage to the nose and right-engine cowling when the aircraft rolled into the back wall of a hangar.” The other plane with engine issues was expected to return to service within days.

He said in the meantime, the prime minister won’t go in want of a ride.

“The Royal Canadian Air Force has other aircraft that can be used for VVIP [very, very important person] transport,” Neta said in an email. “The RCAF is confident it can meet VVIP travel demands during the period where (Can Force One) is being repaired.”

Like upgrades to 24 Sussex Drive, the prime minister’s plane has been a political football in the past. Former prime minister Jean Chrétien refused to fly in Can Force One for the length of his term in office, after attacking prime minister Brian Mulroney for paying $56 million to convert the plane into a VIP transport. Chrétien dubbed it a flying “Taj Mahal.”

The plane can also be used for the governor general or the royal family. The prime minister and the governor general do not fly commercial for security reasons.

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All of the five jets initially went into service in 1987, first with two commercial airliners and then the military purchased them in 1992.

In the next few years, the government’s defence blueprint calls for an upgrade and overhaul of the existing fleet of planes, which is estimated to cost between $100 million and $250 million. That will extend the planes service life past 2026, but longer term the government also plans to buy new jets.

Photo by Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press/File

The proposal was listed within “Strong, Secure, Engaged” the government’s defence strategy, released in 2017, which proposes billions of dollars of spending on new ships, aircraft and other military equipment.

Under that plan the government would have replacement planes sometime between 2028 and 2031, but a senior government official speaking on the condition of anonymity said they’re exploring whether that timetable can be moved up. They stressed the discussions are in the early stages.

Even if the procurement were sped up, it is still in the first phases of the defence department’s process, which is why the price tag to replace the five planes ranges from $1 billion to nearly $5 billion.

The White House announced in July 2018 that it had a $3.9 billion fixed price deal with Boeing to deliver two planes to replace Air Force One.

Conservative defence critic James Bezan said it is past time the government addressed this issue.

“We do need to go out there and present Canada in a positive light. Flying around in old planes that are having trouble getting in the air and staying in the air doesn’t project confidence,” he said. “Let’s get out there, quit dithering and make a hard decision on which is the best transport for both VIPs and getting our troops around the world.”

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It would not be cost effective to modify them further

He said the issue is a larger reflection of the government’s paralysis when it comes to moving ahead with military procurement.

“I don’t think they’re capable of making these hard decisions and I think they are going to be very risk averse.”

He said while it has to be done, replacing the prime minister’s plane ahead of fighter jets and other important military needs would not be good optics.

“It would look pretty bad if the first plane they replace is the prime minister’s own plane.”

The planes are not the government’s only option when it comes to VIP transport. Canada also owns four smaller Bombardier Challenger jets that can transport VIPs and be used as air ambulance for the military, but those are also facing problems.

New regulations that come into force next year, mandate new technology in planes that will allow them to fly closer together safely. Two of the Challenger jets don’t have the updated technology and could be banned from flying near major centres or on major air routes.

Neta said it wouldn’t make sense to update two of the older Challengers.

“It would not be cost effective to modify them further because they would require a complete cockpit avionics replacement,” he said.

He said the RCAF is talking to regulatory authorities to see if there are any steps that could be taken to reduce some of the limits on the Challenger jets.