The Ontario government has confirmed it has purchased a used Challenger 650 jet to support the premier’s travel across the province, Canada, and the United States.
In a statement from the Premier’s Office, officials said the decision was driven by the scale of travel required for the role and the need for secure, flexible transportation.
“As part of the job of being Premier of Ontario, there is extensive travel within Ontario, a province twice the landmass of Texas,” the statement reads.
“This is in addition to travel across Canada for Council of the Federation and First Ministers’ Meetings, which have increased in frequency, as well as travel to the United States to help make the case against President [Donald] Trump’s tariffs.”
The province purchased a pre‑owned, 2016-made-in-Canada Challenger 650 for $28.9 million. The Premier’s Office emphasized that the cost is significantly lower than what other governments have paid for similar aircraft, noting that Quebec spent $107 million on a fleet that included one used and two new Challenger 650s, while the federal government paid $753 million for six new Global 6500 jets.
According to the statement, the government sought an aircraft that would provide more predictable scheduling, greater flexibility for rapid travel, enhanced security and confidentiality for sensitive government business.
The Challenger 650 — manufactured in Canada — is commonly used by governments and corporate fleets for medium‑range travel. Ontario previously operated government aircraft but sold off its fleet in 2015.
