British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was criticized for renting a luxury plane for a tour of Central Asia. The Mirror reported.
As noted, the Foreign Secretary chartered an aircraft described as «one of the best luxury private jets money can buy» for a five-day diplomatic jaunt around Central Asia.
Last week, the British Foreign Secretary made a five-day visit to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia on a £42 million Embraer Lineage 1000 jet. The UK government said he wanted to «increase engagement with this pivotal region».
The Embraer Lineage 1000 has its own dining table where meals can be served, as well as a separate relaxation zone with extra-long sofas.
Union Aviation, the charter firm that operates the jet, boasts on its website that a sommelier helps pick the onboard wine selection and that it provides a food menu suitable for «the most demanding passengers», the media outlet reports.
«Sometimes, on a trip like this, ministers will need to use non-scheduled flights, and if the government’s dedicated RAF jets are unavailable, they may have to charter a plane. That is all fine, but in no world do those circumstances justify hiring one of the most expensive, most luxurious private jets on the market to ferry the Foreign Secretary round Central Asia. That is an unacceptable extravagance,» Labour’s Emily Thornberry said.
«The Foreign Secretary’s job requires him to travel abroad to pursue the UK’s interests. This was the most time effective way to do this in this instance. Value for money is taken into account in all travel decisions and costs are routinely published for transparency,» a Foreign Office spokesman said.
