LONDON >> When he was Britain’s prime minister, Tony Blair tried to secure his own official aircraft, only to see it nicknamed "Blairforce One" and lampooned as an effort to compete with the U.S. presidential jet.

More than seven years after that project failed to get off the ground, the idea is back, with Britain’s current prime minister, David Cameron, announcing plans to join the club of world leaders with an official aircraft.

The British government, which is simultaneously making big cuts in public spending, is presenting the decision to buy a plane as a security and money-saving measure rather than an effort to enhance the prime minister’s prestige.

While many European countries have jets for government leaders, the subject is a touchy one in Britain, where politicians have been embroiled in several scandals in recent years and public financing for their first-class travel is highly unpopular.

Cameron uses military aircraft for short flights, but the government sometimes charters commercial jets, at considerable expense, for long trips.

The government’s money-saving argument has not impressed everyone. Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland and a Scottish National Party lawmaker, said that the announcement should be given "about one out of 10 for timing" as the government cuts public spending.

The motivation, Salmond told ITV News, seemed to be for Cameron to avoid the appearance of being "outdone" by other leaders when arriving at international meetings.

Under the new plan, Britain will convert a military air-to-air refueling plane so that it can be used by Cameron and senior ministers for long journeys. The plane, which would retain its refueling capacity, would also be available for members of the royal family.

On Thursday, the government said it would convert one of the Royal Air Force’s Voyager aircraft to be used for official trips, enabling the prime minister to travel with secure communications.

His jet will also have roughly 50 business-class seats, plus 100 economy-class seats for people accompanying the prime minister, including business leaders and journalists, on big international trips.

Cameron’s aides have declined to say whether the prime minister will have his own room, bed or shower; whether the aircraft will have a name or call sign; or whether civilian or military personnel will serve drinks and food on board. According to British officials, the use of the aircraft will save the government about $1.2 million a year, based on the expenses of recent trips. But the initial cost of converting the plane is expected to be about $15.2 million.

That is still considerably cheaper than the "Blairforce One" plan, which was ultimately killed by Blair’s successor, Gordon Brown, after estimates suggested that it would cost about $152 million.

The government also points out that chartering planes, particularly on short notice, can be expensive. Figures released by the government show that it cost more than $152,000 for Cameron and five officials to take a charter flight to Saudi Arabia in January to "pay condolences following death of King Abdullah."

Using scheduled flights for long trips is much cheaper. A flight to Australia last year for Cameron and six officials cost 13,290 pounds, or about $20,200.

On Thursday, the British news media tried hard to find a replacement for the "Blairforce One" tag that could be applied to an aircraft for Cameron, who leads Britain’s Conservative Party. Among the nicknames suggested were "Air Force Cam," "Con Air," "Cam Fly With Me" and the "Camcorde."