President Bola Ahmed Tinubu flew to Pretoria for yesterday’s second-term inauguration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on a chartered aircraft because of the poor state of the presidential jet, it was learnt.
The President departed Lagos on Tuesday, 18 June aboard a chartered plane instead of the 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) nicknamed Nigerian Air Force 001, the President’s official aircraft.
According to a government source, the BBJ is undergoing a C-Check hence, unfit for the flight distance to South Africa. Other planes in the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) are also not in good shape.
The source said: “The President took a chartered plane to South Africa because most of the aircraft in PAF are currently undergoing routine maintenance because of their poor condition. The 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) being used by Mr. President is also affected. The plane is more than 20 years old. None of the other jets in the fleet could be recalled from where they are undergoing check to fly the President to South Africa. Technically, the aircraft which flew the President to Lagos for Eid-El-Kabir was not fit enough to make the shuttle to the inauguration of the South African President. President Tinubu does not derive pleasure in flying about in a chartered jet. What will he gain? But when it comes to technical audit of the aircraft of PAF, safety is a top priority. It is better to mitigate any risk than aggravating it.”
There are 10 aircraft in the Presidential Fleet, including six jets and four helicopters. They are Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) 737, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G500, two Falcons 7X, HS 4000, two Agusta 139 and two Agusta 101.
The source also said no aircraft was in good condition to make a flight to South Africa – explaining that in the past year, the President has been weighing options on how to reduce the aircraft in the presidential fleet from 10 to seven as part of cost-saving measures. The three aircraft likely to be on the shelf are the 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), Falcon and Embraer jets.
