The Ford government is spending nearly $30 million on a second-hand private aircraft, allowing the premier to jet set across the province and beyond.

The premier’s office confirmed the government is buying a pre-owned Challenger 650 to enable “certain, flexible, secure and confidential travel” to destinations across the country and the United States.

“As part of the job of being Premier of Ontario, there is extensive travel within Ontario, a province twice the landmass of Texas,” the Premier’s Office said in a statement.

The $28.5 million, 12-seater aircraft has a range of 7,400 kilometres, meaning the premier can fly to faraway destinations in the United States, Europe and much of Canada.

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The timing of the purchase, however, is being criticized as being misaligned with Ontarians’ concerns about the cost of living.

“At a time when people can’t afford to buy groceries or gas, Doug Ford is buying himself a private jet. It doesn’t get much more out of touch than that,” said interim Liberal Leader John Fraser.

“I guess the gravy train just wasn’t enough, now he’s got to get a gravy plane.”

The purchase appears to fly in the face of Ford’s own stance on the use of taxpayer-funded travel resources.

In 2019, as Ford faced backlash over his plans to build a custom OPP van — complete with a television and a swivel chair — for official travel, the premier pushed back on his use of a government plane.

“I’m the only premier in history that refuses to use the premier’s plane, the King Air, that costs the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Ford said in February 2019. “I prefer to drive around and talk to the people about things that matter.”

Seven years later, the government said the plane is necessary for travel “across Canada” for meetings with other premiers and the prime minister, as well as travel to the United States “to help make the case against President (Donald) Trump’s tariffs.”

The Premier’s Office also defended the $28.5 million price tag.

“This is significantly less than the $107 million Quebec paid for its fleet of one pre-owned and two brand-new Challenger 650s or the $753 million the Government of Canada paid for its six new Global 6500 jets.”