ECC denies Rs1.09bn luxury jet purchase claims

The government has clarified that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has not approved Rs1.094 billion for the purchase of a new luxury aircraft for military leadership, dismissing claims circulating on social media as misleading.

According to officials from the ECC and the Ministry of Defence, the allocated amount is intended solely for the maintenance, operational overhaul and induction-related logistical requirements of an existing government-owned aircraft currently used by the prime minister.

The clarification follows reports suggesting that the government had sanctioned funds to acquire a high-end executive jet, with the Embraer Lineage 1000 cited as a possible aircraft for military leadership.

Officials stressed that the funding has been wrongly linked to the purchase of a new aircraft. They said the approved amount relates to the upkeep of an aircraft already in the government’s fleet and does not include any procurement plan.

The estimated cost of an Embraer Lineage 1000 also contradicts the claims. Aircraft in this category are priced between $25 million and $50 million or more, equivalent to approximately Rs7 billion to Rs14 billion. The Rs1.094 billion allocation, worth around $3.9 million, is considerably lower than the estimated purchase price.

Officials said the funds would instead meet essential operational requirements, including engine overhauls, avionics maintenance and other expenses associated with the government’s existing VIP aircraft fleet.

They added that spending on the maintenance and operational readiness of state-owned aircraft falls under routine government budgetary and administrative procedures.

The officials described claims that the allocation was intended to finance a new luxury jet for military leadership as factually incorrect, reiterating that no such purchase had been approved by the ECC.