British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has been criticized for leasing a luxury Embraer Lineage 1000 jet for a tour of Central Asia. The Guardian writes about it and UNN reports.
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Last week, Cameron embarked on a five-day trip to Central Asia, visiting Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. He traveled on an Embraer Lineage 1000 aircraft worth more than $50 million.
Union Aviation, the charter company that operates the plane, notes that among the services on board is a personal sommelier, a menu that is suitable for "the most discerning passengers." In addition, the plane also has its own dining table and a separate lounge area with long sofas.
I understand that David Cameron may need to charter a jet when he travels to several countries in one week, but that does not justify spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer money to hire one of the most luxurious private jets on the market
Before the trip, the British government said that Cameron would use this tour to promote business opportunities and announce $62 million in support of the sovereignty and independence of the states in the region.
The job of a foreign secretary requires him to travel abroad to defend the interests of the United Kingdom. In this case, it was the most efficient way to do so in terms of time. Value for money is taken into consideration in all travel decisions and costs are regularly published for transparency
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Last year, Cameron's predecessor, James Cleverly, was criticized for a bill of about 400 thousand dollars when he used the same type of plane for an eight-day tour of the Caribbean and Latin America.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also been criticized for his habit of flying short distances for domestic travel. In February 2023, the prime minister flew to London from Dorset by helicopter and flew back to southwest England by jet the next morning.
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