Taxpayers are on the hook for an estimated $48,000 spent so that the prime minister鈥檚 flight crew could sit on a tarmac during his family vacation to St. Kitts and Nevis, 麻豆传媒 has learned.

For security reasons, the prime minister is required to travel only on Department of National Defence aircraft.

Justin Trudeau personally paid for his family鈥檚 hotel room during the 10-day vacation over the New Year鈥檚 holiday. The resort they chose rents villas for about US$2,500 per night.

He also indicated he would pay back the equivalent of economy class airfare for the trip.

However, the government will still have to cover the cost of the flight crew sitting on the tarmac for 218 hours.

The Defence Department said the plane stayed because the aircraft always has to be ready to fly with three hours' notice.

Conservative MP Andrew Scheer questioned the optics of the spending. 鈥淭o keep two pilots around the clock on the payroll when you're off for 10 days like that might not have been the best signal for Canadians,鈥� he said.

It has long been protocol for prime ministers and the governor general use military jets to travel, even for personal vacations, in order to protect their safety.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper set a precedent by reimbursing taxpayers for the equivalent of an economy class tickets on his vacations, and Trudeau鈥檚 office has suggested he will do the same.

But Harper still faced criticism for taking vacations on military aircraft that cost thousands of dollars an hour to fly.

In 2011, Liberal MP Wayne Easter questioned why Harper would take the Challenger jet to Boston for a Stanley Cup playoffs game 鈥渁t $10,000 an hour.鈥�

The NDP鈥檚 Charlie Angus also called out Harper for taking the trip while making billions in spending cuts. 鈥淭here's two rules, there is one for Mr. Harper and his gang and one rule for everyone else,鈥� Angus said at the time.

Former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walter Natynczyk faced criticism that year too, after 麻豆传媒 obtained documents showing he had taken more than $1 million of Challenger flights, including to NHL games and the island of St. Maarten.

With a report by CTV鈥檚 Senior Parliamentary Correspondent Glen McGregor