No. 34 Squadron operates two Boeing 737 Business Jets and three Bombardier Challenger 604s. The aircraft are leased from, and maintained by, the Special Purpose Aircraft Business Unit of Qantas Defence Services in Fairbairn. The lease commenced in 2002 and is due to expire in 2014. The twin-engined Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is crewed by two pilots and up to four flight attendants, and can carry thirty passengers. The twinjet Challenger has a crew of two pilots and one flight attendant, and carries up to nine passengers. The BBJ, which has a range of over , is generally used for long-range transport, and the Challenger on shorter routes. The jets are classified as "Special Purpose Aircraft", meaning that their tasking is governed by Federal guidelines for carrying "entitled persons" on official business. To minimise government outlay, the jets may not be employed when available commercial flights satisfy the timing, location and security requirements of a given task. No. 34 Squadron conducts between 1,200 and 1,800 flights each year. A "Schedule of Special Purpose Flights" is tabled twice annually in Federal Parliament. VIPOPS usually assigns one of No. 34 Squadron's aircraft to approved tasks, but other Australian Defence Force aircraft are occasionally used for tasks not suited to the BBJ or Challenger; for instance, Prime Minister Julia Gillard travelled to China on board a No. 33 Squadron Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport in April 2013.