Amid criticism from Washington politicians, Ford Motor Company is apparently considering divesting itself of its corporate jet fleet. Last week, when the chief executives of the Detroit Big Three visited Washington, D.C., to request federal loans, they were ridiculed by members of Congress who questioned the logic of loaning money to companies that were spending it on “frivolous” items like jets.
Ford said on Friday that it is considering all options for its fleet of five jets. The automaker has significantly reduced use of the jets to the point where only the most senior executives have access to the expensive transportation.
The automaker is also almost exclusively purchasing less expensive, nonrefundable (deep discount) airfare for work-related employee travel. Previously, Ford bought refundable tickets to allow changes to be made prior to travel.
General Motors is also in a similar situation. The automaker said early last week, before the visit to Washington, that it is returning two of its five corporate jets to a leasing company because of reduced travel needs.
