Enough Planes for D-Day Commemoration, Say Ministers

Defence ministers have insisted that there will be enough aircraft to take part in a parachute drop to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, following reports there was only one A400 available. Secretary of State for Defence Grant Shapps told the House of Commons on Monday that a report he had read over the weekend claiming there was a plane shortage is “simply not the case.” “We will have, in fact, I think it’s 181 parachuters—exactly the same number as actually jumped in that location on D-Day,” Mr. Shapps said. Defence minister James Cartlidge then confirmed that “we will have two A400Ms available for June 5.”...