President Buhari reportedly orders the disposal of 9 Presidential aircrafts to reduce cost

 

There are stories that President Buhari has directed that 9 of the VIP transport plane underneath the presidential fleet ought to be offered as a part of the federal authorities’s price measures.

Business sources mentioned that the presidential fleet, that are registered as Nigerian Air Power plane, is without doubt one of the largest in Africa and the third largest in Nigeria after Arik Air and Aerocontractors.

In line with a report by ThisDay, an aviation supply, who's conscious of the directive to promote the plane, mentioned the presidency has various serviceable and unserviceable plane that must be disposed of as a way to scale back the quantity spent by the federal authorities for plane upkeep yearly.

“9, which nonetheless have market worth, are to be offered instantly to cut back upkeep prices,” he mentioned. 

For years, the federal authorities has spent over N12 billion yearly for the upkeep of the presidential fleet.

Though info on the precise measurement of the fleet is handled as labeled data, the fleet, in accordance with aviation sources, is believed to comprise about sixteen plane, chief of which is the Boeing 738 BBJ, NAF 001 or Eagle One, utilized by the president for his travels.

With its luxurious configuration comprising a main bedroom, washrooms and showers, a convention and dinning space, and a dwelling space, the airplane seats 25 to 50 passengers and would value no less than $one hundred million to exchange at the moment.

Eagle One can spend 12 hours within the air, overlaying eleven,489 kilomtres or 6,200 nautical miles.
Along with the Boeing 733 reserved for the president, the fleet boasts two Gulfstream 550 jets. The Gulfstream 550 can seat eight to 18 passengers, relying on the configuration, and has a cruiser vary of 12,501 kilometres or 6,750 nautical miles. A brand new luxurious Gulfstream 550 would price an estimated $fifty three.5 million.

In line with Wikipedia, different planes within the Nigerian Air Power VIP transport fleet embrace two Dassault Falcon 7X jets, one Hawker Siddeley one hundred twenty five-800 and one Cessna 550 Quotation II.

Data from a Nigerian internet portal and Nigerian Air Power sources additional revealed that the fleet additionally boasts two Dassault Falcon 900 jets, a Gulfstream IVSP, a Gulfstream V, a Dornier Do 228, which might carry 19 passengers, one Beechcraft King Air B200, and three AugustaWestland AW139 helicopters.

Sources mentioned every of the 2 Dassault Falcon 7X jets have been bought for $fifty one.1 million in 2010 whereas the Gulfstream 550 price $fifty three.three million.

Aviation specialists additionally put the typical worth of the Falcon 900 at $35 million; Gulfstream IVSP at $forty million; Gulfstream V at $forty five million; Cessna Quotation at $7 million; and the Hawker Siddeley at $15 million.

 It was additionally found that although all of the plane are underneath the presidential fleet, about eight of the planes are reserved strictly for the president.

These are the Boeing 737, the 2 Gulfstream 550 jets, the Gulfstream V jet, two Falcon 7X planes, the Hawker Siddeley plane and one AugustaWestland chopper.

Others are reserved for govt airlift. Plane used for this perform embody the 2 Falcon 900 planes, the Dornier, the Cessna Quotation, the Beechracft King Air, and two AugustaWestland choppers.

Plane reserved for government airlift are utilized by the Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the Home of Representatives, Ministry of Overseas Affairs, and could possibly be used to convey African heads of states visiting or departing Nigeria.

Supply: ThisDay