Ontario Buys Used $28.9 Million Private Jet for Doug Ford as Critics Cry 'Gravy Plane'

The Ontario government has purchased a used Bombardier Challenger 650 business jet for $28.9 million, to be used for what the premier's office calls Doug Ford's extensive travel both inside the province and across the border. The province took delivery of the aircraft this week, after mechanical checks, and confirmed the purchase on April 17 after a request from journalists. Critics have immediately branded the acquisition the 'gravy plane', a pointed reference to Ford's signature political promise to end the so-called gravy train at Toronto City Hall.

Opposition parties, the province's Auditor General and municipal leaders have all questioned the timing and the optics of the purchase. Ontario is running a deficit, front-line hospitals have warned of staffing and capacity shortfalls, and a growing share of Ontarians say they are struggling with the cost of rent and groceries. A near thirty million dollar jet landing in the middle of that debate has given opposition parties their first real opening in months.

The Ford government has defended the purchase as a pragmatic decision and a bargain compared to what other governments have paid. Officials argue that the Challenger 650 will allow the premier to move quickly across a large province, to visit projects and communities far from Toronto, and to travel to the United States to press Ontario's case against the Trump administration's tariffs. Whether that explanation holds up politically is a separate question.

The purchase at a glance

The aircraft is a 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650, a twelve-seat, long-range business jet built at Bombardier's Ontario operations. The province bought it pre-owned for a cost of $28.9 million. The aircraft has undergone what officials describe as extensive mechanical inspections and certifications before entering the provincial fleet. The plane will be operated by a small cadre of government and contracted staff, with details about the operational arrangements still being finalised.

Provincial officials have framed the jet as a replacement for chartered and commercial travel, particularly for trips to remote communities in Northern Ontario and to destinations in the United States where Ford has been promoting Ontario's trade interests. The government says the premier's air travel has grown sharply as the province confronts the fallout from American tariffs and pushes infrastructure projects in the North. A dedicated aircraft, officials argue, is more efficient and more secure than chartering planes on short notice.

The plane will be used by Premier Ford and, at the discretion of the premier's office, by cabinet ministers on government business. The office has not yet released a usage policy, including whether political travel, family travel or non-government use will be allowed. Past governments, both Liberal and Progressive Conservative, have largely relied on commercial flights and occasional charter service for ministerial travel.

Why the government says it needed a jet

Ford's office has pointed to several factors in justifying the purchase. The premier has travelled frequently to Washington, New York and state capitals over the past year, meeting with American governors, senators and business leaders to push back against tariffs on Ontario-made steel, aluminum and autos. Officials argue that reliable, secure and confidential air travel has become a strategic necessity during a trade war that has cost thousands of Ontario manufacturing jobs.

The government has also pointed to the geography of Ontario itself. The province stretches from Windsor to Hudson Bay, and remote communities in the Far North are often only accessible by charter or small commercial aircraft. Officials say that having a provincial jet available on short notice will allow Ford and cabinet to travel to project sites, emergencies and Indigenous communities without the delays and uncertainty of chartered flights.

Finally, the government has argued that the purchase is a long-term investment rather than a one-off expense. Officials say owning rather than chartering will save money over a ten to fifteen year horizon, particularly if the trade war drives up travel frequency. They note that the Challenger 650 was manufactured in Ontario, supporting the domestic aerospace supply chain, and that the province is committed to keeping its maintenance within Canadian providers.

How the price compares

Ford's office has emphasised that the $28.9 million price tag compares favourably to what other Canadian governments have paid. The province says Quebec has spent about $107 million for one used and two new Challenger 650 aircraft. The federal government has committed about $753 million for six new Global 6500 jets for the Canadian Armed Forces. On that basis, officials describe the Ontario purchase as a modest, practical addition to a national trend in government aviation.

Independent analysts note that comparing a single used jet to a fleet purchase can obscure important differences. The federal Global 6500 jets are multi-mission military aircraft, equipped for air-to-air refuelling, medical evacuation and VIP travel. Quebec's fleet includes aircraft used by the Surete du Quebec, the provincial police service, for surveillance and medical transport in addition to ministerial travel. The Ontario jet, as currently described, will be dedicated to senior government travel.

Still, the government's comparison point reflects a broader reality: most large Canadian governments now have access to dedicated aircraft. Alberta, British Columbia and the federal government all operate or contract government aircraft fleets. Saskatchewan operates medevac aircraft that also serve government travel. Ontario had, until this week, been the largest Canadian province without a dedicated jet for executive travel.

Opposition criticism

Ontario New Democratic Party leader Marit Stiles has been among the most vocal critics. The NDP has cast the purchase as a tone-deaf use of public money at a time when Ontarians are struggling with housing affordability, long surgical wait times and rising tuition. Stiles said it is outrageous that the premier is spending roughly thirty million dollars on a luxury plane while families are forced to choose between rent and groceries.

Interim Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser seized on Ford's own political history, calling the jet a 'gravy plane'. Fraser noted that Ford first rose to prominence at Toronto City Hall pledging to stop what he called a gravy train of wasteful spending. Liberals argue that the purchase undermines that brand and signals a government increasingly comfortable with the trappings of office.

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner has questioned the environmental implications. A private jet is among the most carbon-intensive forms of travel per passenger, and the province has been under pressure to meet its own climate commitments. Schreiner has suggested that the premier could have relied on commercial flights, charters and train travel for most provincial trips, reserving chartered jets for genuinely exceptional cases.

Public reaction and polling

Early public reaction has been sharply negative. Talk radio, social media and opinion columnists have pounced on the story, with the phrase 'gravy plane' becoming an instant shorthand. BlogTO, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star have all run pieces detailing the purchase, with comment sections filling with references to hospital wait times, school infrastructure and housing affordability.

Pollsters say it is too early to measure any impact on voting intention, but political strategists note that spending stories of this kind tend to linger. The Ford government has been battered by controversy over the cancelled Greenbelt development changes, the Ontario Place redevelopment and other procurement decisions. Opposition parties are expected to use the jet as a frame for a broader critique of how the government uses public money.

Municipal leaders have also weighed in. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has pressed the province for more infrastructure funding, and several mayors have pointed out that thirty million dollars could fund a year of operating support for a mid-sized hospital or the full cost of a new community housing project. The government has responded that it continues to fund municipal priorities at record levels and that the jet spending is not drawn from those budgets.

What the jet will be used for

The province says the Challenger 650 will be used for official government business, with the premier's office determining the travel schedule. In practice, that is expected to mean a heavy rotation of flights to the United States for trade meetings, to Northern Ontario for infrastructure announcements, and to western Canadian capitals for premiers' meetings. The government has not said whether opposition leaders will ever be offered access to the aircraft, as happens in some other jurisdictions.

Transparency advocates have pressed for a public flight log, similar to what the federal government now releases for the Royal Canadian Air Force VIP fleet. The premier's office has said it will consider disclosure practices once the jet is in regular service. Opposition parties have pledged to push for legislation requiring the publication of flight manifests, destinations and costs.

Safety and security rules will also need to be updated. The Ontario Provincial Police provides close protection for the premier, and adding an aircraft to the security envelope will require new protocols. Officials say those details are being finalised in consultation with the OPP and federal aviation regulators.

Broader questions about government spending

The jet purchase has become a focal point for a broader debate over the Ford government's spending priorities. Ontario has run deficits in recent budgets, and the Financial Accountability Office has flagged shortfalls in health, education and social services. Critics argue that the province's fiscal capacity is better spent on those priorities than on acquiring a luxury aircraft.

Government supporters counter that the premier's role in defending Ontario jobs from tariffs justifies the investment. They point to the province's large steel, auto and manufacturing sectors, which employ hundreds of thousands of Ontarians, and argue that the premier's direct engagement in Washington has helped keep Ontario on the agenda in Canada-United States trade discussions. Whether a jet is necessary for that engagement, or simply convenient, is the question dividing observers.

Taxpayer groups have called for a full accounting of operating costs, including pilot salaries, hangar rental, fuel, insurance and maintenance. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has estimated that annual operating costs for a Challenger 650 can range from two to five million dollars, depending on usage. Those numbers will soon show up in public accounts, adding a recurring line item to the debate.

What's next

Opposition parties are expected to raise the jet purchase at Queen's Park in the coming weeks, with motions calling for disclosure of flight logs and operating costs. The Auditor General could also examine the procurement process, particularly the sole-source elements of the deal, as part of a future value-for-money audit.

The premier's first major trips on the new aircraft are expected within weeks. Ford is scheduled to meet with several American governors this spring and to attend meetings of the Council of the Federation. Each trip will be scrutinised for cost and purpose, and opposition parties have signalled they intend to keep the story alive heading into the next provincial election.

For now, the Ford government insists the purchase is prudent and in the long-term interests of the province. For its critics, the jet has become a potent symbol of a government they say has lost touch with everyday Ontarians. Which narrative prevails will depend on whether the aircraft is seen to deliver tangible results for the province, or simply a more comfortable ride for the premier.