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 gre.
