A US company owned by billionaire businessman Mr Warren Buffett has entered the race to supply jets to the Government.
NetJets, a subsidiary of Mr Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway, said it had submitted a tender for the Government contract to the Department of Defence.
Plane-makers such as Airbus and Boeing are believed to have tendered to sell new aircraft to the Government, which is seeking a 45-seater jet and a seven-seater. If purchased new, two such jets could cost up to €70 million.
However, NetJets claims the Government could save tens of millions of euro by using its "fractional ownership" service.
Company representatives visited Leinster House yesterday for meetings with a number of Government politicians and Opposition figures. With pressure on the public finances, they presented its service as a means of saving money.
The service is akin to a timeshare arrangement. The Government would spend some €10 million for part-ownership of a jet, which would be co-owned by other clients of the company.
It has suggested that the Government buy "fractions" in two jets, a Hawker 800XP and the larger Falcon 2000.
Depending on the amount of flying time required every year, the Government could call on the services of a jet at up to six hours' notice anywhere in a given flying zone.
The Government would then pay only for the time spent in the air, plus six minutes at either end of a flight.
This means the Government would not have the cost of maintaining the aircraft when it is not being used for flights.
Mr Graeme Weston, a company vice-president, said he accepted that there may be an issue of "national pride".
While the symbols of the State would not be painted on the jets, he described use of the service as a "supplemental solution" where the Government would never be in a position where it could not have access to the right jet.
NetJets claims to have 3,500 customers. It operates 513 aircraft worldwide, and 250,000 flying hours annually. It has 2,500 pilots.
Mr Weston said he could not give details of specific clients when asked whether any other government used its service. However, he said corporations such as GE, Gillette and Nokia were clients.
"Buying a government-owned jet is a thing of the past," he said.
He claimed the service was more economical and more reliable than the alternative of purchasing an aircraft outright.
