Senate pitches cash for new state planes

The Florida Senate unveiled plans this week to add two new planes to the state’s aviation fleet.

The buy would cost taxpayers $26.5 million and would fill a void left by former Republican Gov. Rick Scott. In 2011, Scott sold off two state planes as part of a campaign promise to limit abuses by government officials. A multimillionaire, he instead traveled aboard his private jet.

While the sale made good on the campaign promise, it left future governors and cabinet members without wings.

Bartow Republican Sen. Ben Albritton said the buy is a move to replenish the fleet, per the Tampa Bay Times. He serves as chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government.

DeSantis and staff now fly aboard a $15.5 million Cessna Citation Latitude. They acquired the plane in 2020 after an older aircraft they used — an upgraded drug plane seized by police — began experiencing mechanical problems.

In 2019, DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody were aboard the renovated drug plane when a mechanical issue forced an emergency landing. DeSantis, Moody and passengers donned oxygen masks during the air emergency. No one was harmed.

In wake of the incident, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was among others calling on Florida to replenish the fleet. Fried is now a Democratic gubernatorial candidate seeking to oust DeSantis.

“Cost-effective and responsible use of state aircraft would enhance our situational response and our availability to the people of Florida,” Fried said in a 2019 statement. She added that the malfunction “underscores the importance of dependable transportation for Cabinet members.”

Florida is a vast and sprawling state. While a Tallahassee flight to Miami is less than a 90-minute trip, the roughly 403-mile journey is nearly eight hours by car.

Florida is 361 miles wide and 792 road miles long at its most distant points, per the Department of State.