President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took his first trip on the newly acquired presidential jet on his trip to France on Monday. The purchase of the new aircraft has been shielded in mystery and secrecy until now. Several government officials, including the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, had denied any plans to acquire a new jet despite repeated episodes of breakdowns with the fleet the President met when he assumed office.
The Jet, an Airbus A330, was “bought far below the market price” and “saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs” according to Presidential aide, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga who posted about the President’s maiden trip on the aircraft on his X handle, wrote “President Tinubu departed Abuja Monday for Paris, France using the new Airbus A330, which replaced the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700(BBJ) bought under the Presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The new plane, bought far below the market price, saves Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly.
The recommendation to replace the B737-700(BBJ) followed an investigative hearing by Nigeria’s parliament that questioned the plane’s safety record and cost efficiency, especially after it malfunctioned during a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Nigerian Senate’s security and intelligence committee recommended replacing the ageing aircraft in the presidential fleet to reduce downtime and operational expenses.
The new plane is spacious and is furnished with the state-of-the-art avionics, customized interior and communications system.”
