Ontario taxpayers are facing a bill of nearly $200,000 after Premier Doug Ford returned the so-called 'Gravy Plane' to Bombardier. The province owned the aircraft for only 13 days, yet incurred significant expenses, according to documents released by the Ford government late Wednesday.
Breakdown of costs
The total cost after Bombardier agreed to buy back the used jet for the exact price the province paid was $190,865.56. This includes $17,801.78 for acquisition support such as contract review, $33,434.97 for outside legal advice related to aviation services, and $139,628.81 for maintenance, storage, training, and preparation. The province took possession of the plane at 5:14 p.m. on April 15 and returned it at 5:20 p.m. on April 27.
Hidden purchase details
The public first learned of the government's purchase on April 17, but documents requesting payment date back to January 2026. An invoice for a $500,000 US deposit was sent on January 19 to the Ministry of Natural Resources, payable to Bank of America Texas in Dallas. This transaction is unusual given that Bombardier is based in Montreal and the ministry is in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Critics question why Ford did not include the purchase in his March budget, given the January down payment.
The original purchase price was $21 million US, plus $2.73 million US in HST, totaling $23.73 million US, or approximately $32.52 million Canadian at current exchange rates. Bombardier repurchased the 2016 Challenger jet for the same amount the province paid.
Ford's failure to justify the jet
The plane was intended to allow Premier Ford and other officials to travel more efficiently across the province and continent. Proponents argue that Ontario, with a $246-billion annual budget larger than Canada's five biggest banks combined, should have a premier who can work effectively without the delays of commercial air travel. However, Ford never publicly made this case, and his government caved quickly after negative public reaction.
The purchase was leaked to the Toronto Star, which published the first story on April 17. Ford issued a statement on April 19 cancelling the purchase. Opposition leaders have criticized the premier for wasting taxpayer money.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles stated, "Once again, this premier and his Conservative caucus have shown the people that they have no respect for taxpayer dollars." Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser added, "It doesn't matter if they sold it: Doug Ford and his Conservative government will always own this private jet."
While the financial impact may be minor in the grand scheme, the incident has damaged Ford's reputation. Whether he can recover remains to be seen.
