Royal Australian Air Force VIP aircraft

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The Royal Australian Air Force runs a small group of VIP aircraft to transport the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, senior government officials, and visiting dignitaries, including members of the Royal Family and foreign heads of state. The current Special Purpose Aircraft are two Boeing Business Jets and three Dassault Falcon 7X jets, operated by No. 34 Squadron RAAF and based at Canberra Airport.

The Boeing Business Jets are customized Boeing 737 MAX 8s with features such as conference tables, office suites, and secure satellite communications. They have a longer range than standard BBJs. The Prime Minister regularly uses these planes for both domestic and international travel.

Before the BBJs, the RAAF used passenger-configured Boeing 707 tanker-transports, which were larger than the current jets. In August 2014, Defence Minister David Johnston announced plans to convert a KC-30A multi-role tanker into VIP configuration while keeping its tanker role. The VIP KC-30A is tail number A39-007 and is painted air force grey, not the usual VIP colours. It can carry more than 100 passengers, including government officials and press on lie-flat seats, and the Prime Minister has a private section.

A look at history: Before 1940 there were no dedicated aircraft for federal ministers. Canberra became the national capital in 1927, and ministers traveled between Canberra and Melbourne. In the 1930s regular services existed, and Prime Ministers used air travel. In early 1940, during WWII, four Lockheed Hudson bombers were converted into ministerial passenger aircraft for the RAAF. In 1967, the VIP flights program was kept secret, leading to a controversy when Prime Minister Harold Holt and Air Minister Peter Howson were found to have misled Parliament about passenger manifests.

For long-haul flights, the KC-30A VIP aircraft offers enhanced in-flight communications to support secure government work, with access to unclassified and classified networks. The VIP cabin is configured for around 100 passengers, including officials and media, with a private area for the Prime Minister.