‘Wing of Zion’ Price Tag Soars: Government Spent Hundreds of Millions as Flight Costs Remain Secret
Newly released government documents show that Israel has spent hundreds of millions of shekels on the prime minister’s official aircraft, Wing of Zion, while continuing to withhold key financial details—including the cost of individual flights—on national security grounds.
The figures, released by the Prime Minister’s Office in response to a request by the Movement for Freedom of Information and published by Ynet, indicate that the aircraft’s development and conversion cost 364.91 million shekels by the time the project was completed in December 2021.
It remains unclear, however, whether that figure includes the 76 million shekels paid to Australia’s Qantas airline to purchase the aircraft.
The newly disclosed total differs sharply from estimates previously published by Israel’s State Comptroller, which placed the overall cost of the project—including the purchase of the aircraft, its conversion into a state plane, installation of advanced communications and defense systems, and construction of supporting infrastructure—at approximately 729 million shekels.
After construction was completed, the aircraft remained in active preservation until August 2023, costing an additional 17.5 million shekels before entering operational service the following month. From 2023 through 2025, operating expenses totaled roughly 60 million shekels.
Operating costs in 2023 amounted to 6.27 million shekels. Those expenses climbed dramatically in 2024 to 34.18 million shekels, including 18.28 million shekels in fixed costs, 8.55 million shekels in variable expenses, and 7.35 million shekels in one-time expenditures for upgrades and equipment purchases.
Expenses declined in 2025 to 18.67 million shekels. According to the published figures, that amount included 13.17 million shekels in fixed costs and 5.5 million shekels in variable costs. The report also referenced an additional one-time expense of 9 million shekels but did not explain how that figure fit into the overall total.
Despite releasing some financial data, the Prime Minister’s Office declined to disclose the cost of individual flights, including expenditures for flight crews, security, fuel, catering, communications, and insurance.
The office said the information could not be released because “it is information whose detailed disclosure would harm state security or the security or safety of a person.”
Officials also refused to reveal the aircraft’s ongoing maintenance expenses, including repairs, interior upkeep, design modifications, and protective upgrades, citing the same security concerns.
Attorney Hidi Negev, executive director of the Movement for Freedom of Information, criticized the lack of transparency, saying, “From the disclosure of the operating costs of ‘Wing of Zion,’ we know that it is a far more expensive alternative than leasing an aircraft for the prime minister’s use.”
He added, “It is infuriating that the Prime Minister’s Office is still concealing essential information about the costs, from the one-time upgrades to ‘Wing of Zion’ totaling 7.35 million shekels to the breakdown of the fixed annual payments, all under the pretext of ‘harm to state security.’ We will continue fighting to demand full transparency.”
{Matzav.com}
