Will we finally see new VIP aircraft?
Until the end of 2017, LOT Polish Airlines will fulfill a charter contract for two Embraer ERJ-170-200 aircraft, which should be a direct successor to a VIP transport aircraft. Photo by Alan Lebed.
In the last week of June, the procedure for the purchase of commercial aircraft began again to serve flights with the country's top officials, the users of which will be the Air Force. The Decree of the Council of Ministers, adopted on June 30, paves the way for the launch of a tender procedure under the multi-year program "Providing air transport for the most important people in the country (VIP)", which will cost PLN. 1,7 billion.
June 30 this year. a decision was made to purchase new VIP transport aircraft, which will be operated by the Polish Air Force. Information about the plans of the current leadership of the Ministry of National Defense in this matter was provided on July 19 of this year. Deputy Minister Bartosz Kownatsky during a meeting of the parliamentary committee on national defense. Funds for the purchase of equipment - PLN 1,7 billion - should come from the budget of the Ministry of National Defense and will be spent in 2016-2021. The biggest burden will fall on this year and amount to PLN 850 million. In subsequent years, it will amount to approximately PLN 150-200 million per year. As already mentioned, the purchase of four completely new aircraft was supposed - two in each of the small and medium categories. Purchases can also be for one medium aftermarket aircraft. It must be of the same type as the planned two middle categories. Its delivery is scheduled for 2017, allowing for a smooth transition from LOT Polish Airlines' current Embraer 175 charter to LOT's own aircraft. After the delivery of brand new machines, equipped with, among other things, extensive self-defense equipment, the used car should remain in the fleet and serve as a backup aircraft.
The main task of the target medium-class aircraft will be flights on European and intercontinental routes, judging by the statements of Minister Kovnatsky, these are machines capable of carrying up to 100 passengers. Today, Airbus and Boeing are likely suppliers of medium-sized aircraft. Small cars are supposed to be used for domestic and European flights with delegations of about 20 people. Theoretically, the plan involves the purchase of two completely new ones, but the Ministry of Defense does not exclude an increase in this number if there are funds for this.
Offers are likely to come from four well-known manufacturers: French Dassault Aviation, Canadian Bombardier, Brazilian Embraer and US Gulfstream. Each of them offers designs whose technical parameters exceed the requirements of the Polish side, especially in terms of range (partially exceeding those for a medium category design). Taking into account the above facts, it cannot be ruled out that these small aircraft will also make intercontinental flights in the future, especially during working visits at the grassroots and top levels. Manufacturers of small business jets can participate in the procedure - here you need to specify the requirement for the number of passengers carried.
According to Deputy Minister Kovnatsky, wide-body aircraft will complement the planned fleet of aircraft specializing in VIP transportation. Contrary to press reports, Poland has upheld its decision to participate in the European program for the purchase of four MRTT multipurpose tanker aircraft. In this situation, it will be possible to use the Airbus A330MRTT aircraft to transport large delegations to anywhere in the world (this solution was used by the UK, which used one of its Voyagers to transport a delegation to the NATO summit in Warsaw). An alternative is a "fast" charter of a civil passenger aircraft Boeing 787-8 owned by LOT Polish Airlines. However, the need to use a wide-body aircraft will be so rare (several times a year) that it makes no sense to buy an aircraft of this class, used only for VIP transportation.
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