PM's plane breakdown raises safety concern

A crack in the windscreen of the ageing prime ministerial plane forced Tony Abbott off the VIP flight onto a commercial route.

One of the two RAAF-crewed Boeing jets used for official travel broke down in Melbourne on August 21 and was unable to take the prime minister and his entourage to Perth, The Daily Telegraph reports on Monday.

Safety concerns have been raised about the condition of the jets used to transport the prime minister, ministers and governor-general.