Other countries will make fun of New Zealand because of the poor state of the Defence Force plane used to ferry the Prime Minister, an international law expert says.  

Christopher Luxon had to book a commercial flight to Japan after the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) plane, a Boeing 757, broke down on Sunday. An Air New Zealand flight between Auckland and Japan diverted to pick up Luxon in Brisbane. 

The Air Force plane blew a fuse, a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) spokesman said. When the fuse was replaced, it blew again. It is the latest incident in a string of breakdowns. 

University of Waikato international law professor Al Gillespie told the Herald the plane trouble risked denting the respect New Zealand received on the diplomatic stage, calling it “embarrassing”. 

He echoed the opinion of Minister of Defence Judith Collins, who also called the situation embarrassing and said the constant breakdowns may see the Prime Minister travel commercially from now on. 

Gillespie said: “It’s a reputational thing. Diplomacy is about the presentation of gravitas, whereby you show that you deserve respect and you arrive with seriousness and purpose. 

“A degree of authority is everything in diplomacy, from the clothes you wear to the way you hold yourselves and your etiquette. It’s all centuries old – making sure other countries respect you and that they can see you’re someone to do business with. 

“So [the plane trouble] is something which just doesn’t look that great. People will make fun of something like this. It doesn’t help to convince other countries that you’re serious, respectable and reliable.” 

Around 30 of the country’s top businesspeople, Trade Minister Todd McClay, government officials, a kapa haka group and media continued their journey to Japan from Brisbane yesterday morning. 

With an Air New Zealand flight making an unexpected stop to pick up the official delegation, airline chief executive Greg Foran boarded the flight and directly apologised to passengers for the disruption. 

After the plane was airborne, he and Air New Zealand chairwoman Dame Therese Walsh helped the flight attendants by handing out drinks from the food trolley. 

Part of the bill for the change of plan would likely fall on taxpayers. The exact cost was unknown at this stage. 

Earlier, Collins floated the possibility the Prime Minister would fly commercial now to avoid other incidents. She also said the plane would most likely be fixed in Brisbane as it would not be able to make the journey back home safely. 

Defence Minister Judith Collins says the repeated aircraft breakdowns are embarrassing. Photo / RNZ 

Collins said it was “difficult” to spend money on new planes during the cost-of-living crisis. 

“No Prime Minister wants to spend a lot of money on something deemed as ‘nice to have’,” Collins said. 

The incident is the latest in a string of embarrassing breakdowns involving Defence Force aircraft. 

In March, a fault with the NZDF plane also forced the Prime Minister to fly commercially to Melbourne. 

After several delays, media were told Luxon had been advised to fly on a commercial service after a maintenance fault was identified on the plane. 

He was headed across the Tasman to meet leaders of southeast Asian nations on the sidelines of a special Australia-Asean summit. 

Luxon missed two meetings due to his late arrivals. 

Collins said at the time it was embarrassing the aircraft had broken down. 

Last year, a back-up Boeing 757 had to be sent to Asia in case of a breakdown of the NZDF plane carrying then Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his delegation to China. 

The move attracted international attention and criticism from National and Act, who called it a source of national embarrassment. 

In an interview with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking last Tuesday morning, Luxon said he had “every confidence” regarding the plane when asked. 

“I get more building confidence every time I get on the plane,” he said at the time. 

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.