The government of Ireland has approved plans to seek out a new aircraft for VIP transport and official duties. The hard work of selecting the replacement jet is now underway, with concerns that the country's current transport - a Learjet LJ45 is now "in a pretty poor state of repair."
Ireland's current VIP transport
At the moment, Ireland's government jet is a Learjet LJ45 which was purchased for €8 million in 2004. The Irish Defense Forces notes on its website that the LJ45's operators, the Air Corps, fly the aircraft seven days a week, usually in the Ministerial Air Transport role. According to Independent.ie, this aircraft completed 56 trips in 2021, and 63 in 2022. The Lear LJ45 is stated to cost an average of €3,790 an hour to run.
In addition to its transport role, the aircraft also "regularly carries out national and international patient transfer services in conjunction with the Department of Health and Children." To facilitate this multi-role capability, the aircraft can be modified within an hour. In this process, seats are removed to make way for a "fully independent Lifeport stretcher system."
Thus, the aircraft has three roles: Presidential & Ministerial Transport, Military & VIP Transport, and Air Ambulance.
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Replacement wanted
According to The Irish Times, the country's Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Micheál Martin stated that the jet was “in a pretty poor state of repair and that officials in the Department have recommended that it be replaced”.
One particular incident 15 years ago has been used to raise concerns about the safety and continued use of the aircraft. In the 2008 tragedy, a Mexican Government aircraft of the same type (Learjet 45) suffered a fatal crash, killing nine passengers onboard and seven people on the ground. Independent.ie also notes that there have been numerous issues with the small jet in recent years, which have resulted in traveling ministers being inconvenienced.
“As it advances in age the Learjet has naturally become less reliable, the Air Corps estimate (based on current serviceability data etc.) that the aircraft will require replacement by 2024 at the latest,” -Briefing document for Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Defence Minister via Independent.ie
Replacement criteria and possibilities
With a replacement deadline of 2024, the government has about a year to secure a replacement jet. Unfortunately, at this time, no specific aircraft types have been mentioned or short-listed.
The Irish Times notes that a Ministerial Air Travel review group has drafted a report detailing the strategic and financial impact of purchasing a new plane and that market research is being carried out by an aviation consultant with regard to suitable options for a second-hand aircraft, although new aircraft are also being considered. Martin says that the Irish government needs a replacement aircraft that will have a broad utility role, including "strategic reach in crisis situations and medical evacuation, as well as ministerial air transport.”
As its name suggests, the Airbus A330 MRTT (multi-role tanker transport) would be able to perform long-haul transport and medical evacuations suitably. However, the widebody would seem to be far too large of a jump from the current Learjet. Even an aircraft like Germany's brand-new Airbus A321LR would seem too big - even if the type also has all the required functions. With the type of aircraft the government is currently using, we have to wonder if a similarly sized, or slightly larger aircraft would be the target.
With this in mind, Bombardier's Challenger or Global series of aircraft could be high on the list. With the range and the ability to fly long-haul being one concern, an aircraft like the Bombardier Global 5500 has a stated range of 5,900 NM (10,927 km) with a passenger capacity of 16. This would allow non-stop service to much of the world from Dublin (range map shown below).
Whatever aircraft is chosen, it looks like a multi-role function will be necessary - which might ultimately require extensive customization and modification.
What type of aircraft do you think would be a good fit for the Irish government? Let us know by leaving a comment!
Sources: Independent.ie, Irish Defense Forces, The Irish Times