Jet plan still in air despite safety fears

THE Government is likely to proceed with acquiring a new nine-seater jet in mid-December, despite the model being grounded amid safety concerns.

In July, the Department of Defence put in an order for a new Learjet 45 after the Government backed down from an earlier decision to buy a 40-seater jet. It cited reasons of costs at a time when the economy was experiencing a downturn.

However, in August, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the US ordered that the Learjet 45 be grounded, after the discovery of a potential defect in the tail of the jet that could cause pilots to lose control of the plane. The problem had first come to light in March when the crew of a Learjet 45 reported vibration and severe pitch problems while in flight.