Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot announced on Friday that he will advocate for the government to re-evaluate its contract with the leasing company responsible for government flights.
The minister made the announcement against the background of issues that left the royal couple stranded in Chile, along with the rest of their delegation, including the Foreign Minister.
King Philippe, Queen Mathilde, and their delegation were set to return from a state visit to Chile on Thursday, but have been delayed until at least Saturday due to plane troubles. The aircraft, operated by HiFly under a Defence contract for government flights, incurred damage while taxiing at Antofagasta Airport.
Minister Prévot criticised the service quality provided by the airline: the flight to Chile had already been delayed by 24 hours due to previous issues with the aircraft.
Prévot intends to push for an investigation into the legal possibilities of issuing a new tender to partner with a different airline. He emphasised that these flights were important for royal state visits and princely economic missions, affecting “our image and credibility.”
Prévot argued further that focusing solely on cost-cutting was not beneficial if technical problems ultimately cost the State more than opting for higher quality initially would have.
