Dutch government plane sold to Australian airline for €3,7 million

The Netherlands sold its old government plane, Fokker 70 PH-KBX, to Australian airline Alliance Airlines for 3.7 million euros, the Telegraaf reports. Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure wil officially announce the sale on Tuesday, according to the newspaper.

The government announced two years ago that it plans to replace PH-KBX. The plane is outdated and has limited scope - for example, it can't fly to the Antilles without a stop, NOS reports. The Netherlands bought the Fokker 70 plane, which is used by members of the government and royal family, in 1996 for 75 million guilders.

According to the Telegraaf, Alliance Airlines plans to use the Fokker 70 as a VIP aircraft. The airline wanted to keep the plane's purchase price a secret, but agreed to reveal it at the request of the Dutch parliament.

Last week the Dutch government announced that PH-KBX will be replaced by a Boeing 737 Business Jet which will be named PH-GOV. The new plane will cost 89 million euros.