21 Dec 2017

French PM takes responsibility for charter plane cost

8:10 am on 21 December 2017

The French prime minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for spending more than $US400,000 to charter a plane from Tokyo to Paris.

France's newly appointed Prime Minister Edouard Philippe poses prior to taking part in the evening news broadcast of French TV channel TF1.

Edouard Philippe Photo: AFP

It has been revealed that his delegation returning from New Caledonia earlier this month changed plane in Tokyo.

Instead of continuing in the military Airbus his delegation flew in a luxury Airbus from Tokyo, with the military plane following near empty.

Mr Philippe defended the charter, saying prime ministerial trips are expensive.

He said his trip was cheaper than the New Caledonia trip of a former prime minister Manuel Valls.