Govt saves $50 million on air travel THE Australian government cut spending on air travel last year but still dished out nearly $200 million on flights in six months. New figures released on Monday show the amount spent by federal government agencies on travel dropped more than 20 per cent - or $54 million - in the six months to the end of last year. Compared to the same period in 2011, the volume of air travel by public servants was down, the Whole of Australian Government Air Travel Arrangements 2012-13 Half Year Results show. But around $193 million - more than $1 million per day - was still spent on flights by the Australian government in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year. Savings were made by domestic travel being booked further in advance, and by choosing lower fares online instead of going through a travel agent. The drop in air travel overall also showed agencies were using methods like teleconferencing instead of meeting face to face for government business. Finance Minister Penny Wong said by requiring agency heads to prioritise spending, the federal government had saved more than $13 billion in public sector savings since coming to office. Cuts to travel, hospitality and IT costs had saved billions, Senator Wong said in a statement. She also said Labor had "drastically reduced" spending on government advertising, which cost $250 million in 2007, the last year of the Howard government.