The key facts
- The Airbus A321neo (G-GBNI) took off from Stansted at around 06:00 on Monday and landed in Manchester half an hour later to pick up Andy Burnham
- No 10 justified the routing on grounds of safety, cost and 'operational requirements'; Tory Neil O'Brien accused Labour of extravagance
- The cost of the London–Manchester flight is unknown: Cabinet Office transparency data is published quarterly and does not yet include Burnham's trips
The route via Manchester
Downing Street has defended the decision to send the official UK Government plane to Manchester to pick up Andy Burnham, rather than the prime minister travelling to London in advance, BBC News reports. The Airbus A321neo, registration G-GBNI, took off from Stansted Airport at around 06:00 on Monday without the prime minister on board, heading for St John's — the capital of Antigua and Barbuda. Half an hour into the flight it landed in Manchester, spent an hour and a half on the ground there, and at 08:00 set course across the Atlantic for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm).
Criticism and No 10's response
The route drew criticism on social media, with users questioning whether the expense was justified. Conservative MP and shadow minister Neil O'Brien said Labour had managed to 'spend taxpayers' money and aviation fuel to pose for photos', adding that 'when it comes to them, the rules are different'. The prime minister's official spokesman explained that his travel reflects where he was 'conducting official government business' at the end of last week: on Friday he was in Scotland, and in the evening he returned to Manchester to work from Number 10 North.
How much it cost is unknown
The cost of the London–Manchester flight has not been disclosed, and it is unclear whether there are precedents: the Cabinet Office's transparency data for this aircraft covers only overseas trips, and Burnham's journeys have not yet been included — the data is published quarterly. According to the latest figures for April–June 2026, the then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer made four return flights, including a trip to Armenia with 21 officials costing £121,000 and an April flight to Paris costing £39,000. The final price of each flight depends on the number of accompanying staff, fuel costs and fees. It is also unclear whether it would have been cheaper to bring the prime minister, along with his security detail and staff, from Manchester to Stansted by train or road transport. For comparison: the previous government aircraft, the RAF Voyager, received a £900,000 repaint in 2020 before being replaced with another plane.
Context of the trip
On Tuesday Burnham will meet Commonwealth leaders — this will take place at the end of the King's Caribbean tour. The prime minister has said he is 'open' to the possibility of a formal UK apology for its role in the slave trade.
Image source, Getty Images Andy Burnham and his wife took the plane to the United Nations in the US in September
Image source, AFP/Getty Images The official UK Government plane is used for the PM and royals
