The new Presidential Jet acquired by President Bola Tinubu is a refurbished Airbus A330 sourced from Mid East Jet in Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
The report reveals that President Tinubu recently traveled to France aboard the Airbus A330, which replaces the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 (BBJ) purchased during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
Investigations show that the Airbus A330 was initially used by Mid East Jet from November 27, 2009, to May 25, 2012. It was then transferred to Constellah Aviation in May 2012.
On September 24, 2014, the A330 was returned to Mid East Jet before being sold to Nigeria.
The federal government received the aircraft on Sunday, August 18, 2024, with the registration number 5N-FGA and HEX CODE 06430C, directly from a factory in France.
An aviation security expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to his position, expressed concerns about the purchase.
He noted that the aircraft, being older, will likely be more expensive to maintain.
The expert suggested that the government might have been better served by acquiring more modern equipment, which would be cheaper to maintain and more fuel-efficient in the long run.
“The presidency should have acquired a Boeing Aircraft that is easier to maintain in the country than purchasing an Airbus. Also, for security reasons too, presidential fleet aircraft maintenance too are better and safer being complied with in-house, providing the right equipment and tooling for this instead of overseas where the crew hotel accommodations, logistics, per diem and others are all inclusive because they have to be there and monitor the maintenance and security assurance.”
Meanwhile, the presidency has stated that the new plane was purchased at a significantly reduced price compared to the market rate, resulting in substantial savings for Nigeria in terms of maintenance and fuel costs, which could amount to millions of dollars annually.
“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, customised interior and communications system,” Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, posted the information on his X handle.
