The Government’s new €53 million aircraft is now operational and is expected to carry the Taoiseach to the United States for his St Patrick’s Day trip, reports The Mirror.
The French-manufactured Dassault Falcon 6X arrived at the Air Corps headquarters at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel, Dublin, in December. A source said only a limited number of checks were required and that it is just a “matter of time” before the jet is used for the first time, reports The Mirror.
It is understood that Taoiseach Micheál Martin is likely to travel on the aircraft for his forthcoming US visit, with trips planned to Philadelphia and Washington DC next month. The jet has a range of more than 10,000 kilometres and can fly to Washington without needing to refuel.
Mr Martin has defended travelling to the US, despite opposition parties urging him to boycott the visit over US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and his comments about taking control of Gaza, reports The Mirror.
The Taoiseach previously said: “St Patrick’s Day for many years been a very substantive opportunity and occasion for Ireland, globally and in the United States, to engage with decision makers to engage with its own communities, diaspora, a very substantial diaspora in the United States, reports The Mirror.
“It’s extremely important that we continue to work with our diaspora, but that we also work on our relationship with the United States,” reports The Mirror. The Falcon 6X will mainly be used to transport VIPs such as the Taoiseach, President Catherine Connolly and Tanaiste Simon Harris on official engagements abroad.
However, the plane is operated by the Air Corps and will officially be known as a Strategic Reach Aircraft, as it is designed to perform several other roles. These duties include transporting members of the Army Ranger Wing on significant overseas missions, conducting logistics operations, evacuating Irish citizens from dangerous situations abroad and carrying out air ambulance missions for seriously ill patients.
The aircraft is expected to be heavily utilised when Ireland takes over the EU presidency for six months starting in July. The 14-seat jet replaces the Government’s Gulfstream IV, which was retired in 2014, reports The Mirror.
The Air Corps had previously used a seven-seat Learjet for VIP transport, but it has not flown ministers for several years. Consequently, the Government had been spending tens of thousands of euro per journey chartering private jets for senior officials, reports The Mirror.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
