A £50million helicopter is on order to ferry the Prime Minister and top Tory politicians around – paid for by taxpayers.
The new chopper, expected to be an Italian-made AgustaWestland AW149, will also be on standby for use by senior members of the Royal Family.
It will be a replacement for an aircraft currently in service based at RAF Northolt in West London.
It has been on hand to take top Tories to Westminster, frequently landing at Wellington Barracks, a few minutes’ walk from No10, according to an aviation industry source.
Lib Dem Energy spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse said: “This government seems to have abandoned its environmental responsibilities while throwing taxpayer money away so Rishi Sunak and his cronies can travel in luxury.”
A £50million contract to replace the helicopter was published last March, with delivery of the new one expected next month.
Rishi Sunak is understood to have used the chopper for short trips between London and Dorset in
early February.
Our source said the royals and senior defence personnel will also have access to the new aircraft.
Mr Sunak’s taste for luxury, short-haul flights has already become infamous in his first few months in office. In January, he took a taxpayer-funded private jet to Scotland to launch “green” tax breaks. And he came under fire for taking the same luxury aircraft on a 200-mile journey to visit a healthcare centre in Leeds. The PM’s official spokesman insisted his travel arrangements are based on the “most effective use of his time”.
The terms of the contract for the new helicopter say it will be available for “daily tasking” all year round – flying for up to 500 hours a year.
While the contract is with the MoD, the bid notice – or advert – for the replacement chopper said a “civilian operated solution” could be considered for VIP transport.
It read: “The helicopter will be in support of very important person tasking for defence activity.”
The MoD said: “These working flights are essential for key in-person, secure visits across the MoD’s geographically distant sites. Procurement decisions are done with value for the taxpayer in mind.”
