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Mette Frederiksen & co. shopper private aircraft: Extra VIP aircraft for ministers 'because of corona' | BT Politik - www.bt.dk The government wants the Armed Forces to provide two new private jets to transport ministers comfortably around the world. Due to the 'security situation' in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it has become necessary to buy two extra private VIP planes for flights by government ministers. At least that is what the government thinks itself. The corona crisis is also being used as an argument that new private jets must now be bought. It appears from documents from the Department of Defense that B.T. has been handed over. At the beginning of March, it was set out to investigate how it would be possible to add two new modern aircraft to the current fleet of four Challenger-CL 604 aircraft as soon as possible. These are the planes that are made available to the Royal House and the government. But the Ministry of Defense does not want to say who in the government is behind the order for the new private jets. It appears from the documents that it is not the Ministry of Defense itself that has started work on the two new private aircraft for the ministers, but that the ministry is working on the basis of an order. A Danish Challenger aircraft on a surveillance mission. Photo: The Air Force's Photo Service / Armed Forces. B.T. has therefore for several weeks tried to get the Ministry of Defense to answer whether the order comes from the Ministry of State or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But the Ministry of Defense will not respond to this after repeated attempts. The ministry simply replies that "for the possible acquisition of more aircraft, coordination with other ministries is needed". The Ministry of Defense writes that it is also the corona situation that makes it necessary to buy the new aircraft now. »Covid-19 imposed a number of restrictions on travel by regular air traffic, including, for example, quarantine periods after flights, cancellation of some flights and entry restrictions. These restrictions can to some extent be met by transport by own aircraft. Furthermore, travel in a smaller aircraft with fewer fellow passengers provides a better opportunity to keep a better distance to other contacts than travel by scheduled aircraft does, «the ministry writes. B.T. has then asked how previous corona restrictions should justify the need to buy new private jets that may even only come on the wings in up to two years. The ministry does not respond. At the same time, we have asked why the reason for using fewer departures in the wake of the corona crisis is used, when the volume of air traffic worldwide has been rising sharply and in many places is already back to normal levels. Jeppe Kofod flew to Moldova on March 10, 2020 in a Challenger 604 private jet. The ministry does not go into that question further. In the documents from the Ministry of Defense, there are several models for how to get more VIP aircraft on the wings in both the short and long term. Among other things, this can be done by leasing private aircraft for a shorter period. Common to the models is that the prices are exceeded on the grounds of competition considerations. In one place, however, it appears that the price of one of the models in play will be 22,000 kroner per hour if the plane flies with six passengers. It will cost 83,000 kroner per hour with 14 passengers. How the new aircraft will be financed is not stated in the documents. The Ministry of Defense writes that a "long-term handling of the Challenger capacity's task complex is expected to be addressed in the framework of the forthcoming defense agreement". B.T. has in March been able to tell how Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod in a single year has on private planes. B.T. first asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Jeppe Kofod's flights on 23 February this year. The documents from the Ministry of Defense about the new private planes are from 8 March. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has at most for DKK 567,591 on Kofod's business trips in connection with EU meetings. ABROAD Media: Football B.T.'s judgment Bookmakers' judgment Berlingske UDLAND Berlingske Media A / S Pilestræde 34 DK-1147 Copenhagen KTlf. +45 33 75 75 33 CVR.no .: 29 20 73 13