A Costly Flying Machine With Nowhere to Land
Ontario's provincial government is facing fresh criticism after it emerged that the $28.9-million private jet it purchased — and now intends to sell — is only capable of landing at about 10% of airports across the province.
The aircraft, acquired under the Doug Ford government, requires longer runways than the majority of Ontario's regional airports can accommodate. That means the jet was effectively locked out of most of the communities it was presumably purchased to serve.
How Did This Happen?
The purchase has raised serious questions about due diligence. Ontario has hundreds of airports and airstrips spread across its vast geography, from urban centres like Toronto and Ottawa to remote northern communities. Many of those smaller and regional facilities have shorter runways designed for propeller planes and light aircraft — not the kind of long-haul executive jets typically used by government officials.
Critics argue the government failed to properly assess whether the plane was actually suited to its intended purpose before signing off on the nearly $29-million price tag.
"This is exactly the kind of wasteful spending that everyday Ontarians are tired of seeing," said one opposition MPP following the disclosure. "You don't spend that kind of public money without knowing if the thing can actually land where you need it to go."
Plans to Sell
The Ford government has announced it plans to offload the aircraft, though it remains unclear what the province expects to recoup from the sale or how quickly a buyer might be found in the current market for large executive jets.
The resale process itself could take months, and any loss on the original purchase price would represent a direct hit to Ontario taxpayers.
Northern Communities Left Out
Perhaps the sharpest irony in the situation is that many of Ontario's most remote and underserved communities — the places where reliable air travel is most critical — are precisely the ones the jet cannot reach. Northern Ontario communities rely on air access for medical transport, essential goods, and government services, yet they often have the smallest airstrips in the province.
A plane that can only serve the province's larger, better-connected airports is arguably the least useful tool for a government looking to demonstrate it serves all of Ontario, not just its southern urban core.
Broader Context
The jet controversy comes at a time when Ontario is navigating significant fiscal pressures, with debates ongoing over public sector wages, healthcare funding, and infrastructure investment. Government aircraft purchases are always politically sensitive, but this one is particularly striking given the fundamental mismatch between the plane's capabilities and the province's actual airport infrastructure.
The Ford government has not yet provided a detailed accounting of how many trips the jet completed before the decision to sell was made, or whether it ever flew to destinations that required the runway length it needed.
For now, the episode stands as a costly lesson in government procurement — one that Ontario taxpayers will be watching closely as the resale process unfolds.
Source: CBC News Top Stories
