PM Christopher Luxon’s Boeing 757 trip to Australia in doubt as he backtracks on promise to use Defence Force jets

The Prime Minister’s ride to Australia is in doubt, with both NZ Defence Force Boeing 757s potentially out of operation on Wednesday when Christopher Luxon is due to fly to Sydney to meet Australian PM Anthony Albanese.

The day trip, Luxon’s first meeting another country’s leader as PM, will still go ahead but the issue with the planes will likely mean a smaller media contingent goes with him.

The former Air New Zealand chief executive accepts the continued failures of the 757s are embarrassing and is recommending the Defence Force “look very closely” at alternatives, but wouldn’t give his thoughts on what could replace the three decade-plus old planes.

Luxon’s initial plan to use a 757 to travel broke a promise he made while Opposition leader when he vowed not to use the “ancient aircraft” to travel internationally if elected, following revelations former PM Chris Hipkins had to take two planes while flying to China in case the first broke down.

Speaking in July, Luxon said he would pursue commercial or charter options.

Asked today why his position had changed, Luxon said the 757s meant more media were able to join the trip.

“It’s incredibly frustrating for everybody,” he said.

“It’s an issue that I think the military needs to look at very, very closely about how we can support taking you fine people [the media] with us as well because that’s partly why we want to do it this way.”

One of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's two Boeing 757s.

One of the two 757s was unavailable as it was under “long-term maintenance”, Luxon said.

The remaining plane was supposed to be used last weekend to fly Foreign Minister Winston Peters to Fiji but it broke down, forcing Peters to take another plane.

Luxon said the same issue that impacted Peters’ trip was threatening his. He would provide an update tomorrow on whether the plane was fit to fly.

“Look, I think it’s incredibly embarrassing ... we’re not sending people to the moon, just trying to get them to Australia,” he said.

“We’ve had a series now of instances over the last few years that are, I think, embarrassing and I think that’s something we need to have a conversation about.”

While revealing he had lots of thoughts about Boeing aircraft in his head, Luxon refused to give his view on whether the planes would be replaced or by what model.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.