The windscreen of a Boeing 737 used to fly the Prime Minister and the Governor-General has reportedly cracked, triggering concerns for the safety of Australia’s leaders.

The fracture, discovered on August 21 while the jet was grounded, could have allowed the air inside the cabin to escape if it had occurred in flight, The Daily Telegraph reported.

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The crack was reportedly the third such fault to plague the windscreens of the ageing fleet of Boeing jets.

The Labor government under Julia Gillard abandoned an attempt to replace the fleet in 2013.

Massive expenditure on jets in the wake of the expenses scandal that claimed the speakership of Bronwyn Bishop would be political difficult for Mr Abbott.