The United States has Air Force One. New Zealand has Betty. The aging Boeing 757 plane is so prone to breakdowns that New Zealand government officials acknowledged on Monday that they had sent a backup to ensure Prime Minister Chris Hipkins didn’t get stranded in China where he is leading a trade delegation. Officials were quick to point out they had sent the plane’s empty twin only as far as Manila. That's about 80% of the distance from Wellington to Beijing. The twin Royal New Zealand Air Force planes that transport the prime minister are nearly 30 years old and are due to be replaced by 2030.
