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Polish plane crash highlights 'lamentable' fleet

WARSAW (Reuters) - The crash of a Polish official airliner that killed the president and dozens of top officials on Saturday highlights the condition of the government's air fleet, called "lamentable" by many critics.

The government has debated whether to replace its fleet of Soviet-era airplanes used for official visits, the oldest one of which is some 40-years old, but did not take the step fearing a voter backlash over large expenditures.

"We all know these planes were in lamentable condition," said Adam Rotfeld, a prominent Polish diplomat and former foreign minister said.

"This is an enormous tragedy, but it reminds us that top state representatives should really be travelling in the safest machines available."

The Tupolev Tu-154 which crashed on Saturday in Smolensk, claiming 97 lives, was manufactured in 1990. It underwent a major overhaul last year after it was grounded several times due to technical troubles.

The government also owns a second TU-154 and four smaller Yak-40s, along with 11 helicopters.

The larger Polish planes consume much more fuel than modern airlines and need to refuel at least once on longer routes, such as when flying to the United States.

A government helicopter carrying then Prime Minister Leszek Miller crashed in cold weather in 2003 due to heavy icing. All onboard survived, but Miller had to wear a backbrace after his hospital stay.

Due to frequent groundings, Kaczynski and Prime Minister Tusk had feuded several times over who would use the second TU-154 on several state visits and European Union summits. http://in.reuters.com/article/worldN...47593620100410