Lucy Kramer
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s New Zealand Defense Force plane bound for Japan broke down on Sunday, forcing the prime minister to take a commercial flight, the prime minister’s office confirmed on Monday.
Luxon will be in Japan for four days, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and spend time promoting the New Zealand business.
New Zealand media reported that the Boeing (NYSE:) 757 broke down while refueling in Papua New Guinea, leaving a business delegation and journalists stranded in Port Moresby while the Luxon flew to Japan.
The New Zealand Defense Force’s two 757s are over 30 years old, and age has made them increasingly unreliable.
New Zealand Defense Minister Judith Collins told Newstalk ZB radio on Monday that the ongoing flying issues were “embarrassing” and that the Ministry of Defense was considering letting Luxon and its delegation fly commercially from now on.
The New Zealand Defense Force is facing the dilemma of aging equipment and retaining enough personnel. The government has expressed a willingness to increase defense spending but is also working to reduce spending as the country faces economic headwinds.
