Nigeria buys new presidential plane: Govt

Nigeria has confirmed the acquisition of a new presidential plane, an Airbus A330. By Brian Okoth Nigeria has confirmed the purchase of a new presidential plane – an Airbus A330. President Bola Tinubu's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said the head of state used the new plane on Monday, August 19 to travel to French capital Paris from Nigeria's capital Abuja. According to Tinubu's communications team, the president is in France for a brief working visit. Onanuga said the new Airbus A330 has replaced Boeing 737-700 plane, which was bought 19 years ago under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo. 'Far below market price' Onanuga stated on X social network on Monday that the new presidential aircraft has been "bought far below the market price." The president's special adviser added that the new plane will "save Nigeria huge maintenance and fuel costs, running into millions of dollars yearly." Nigeria did not reveal the exact amount of money it used in purchasing the Airbus A330, or its year of manufacture. Nigerian news outlet 'Premium Times' reports that the West African nation recently acquired the aircraft from a German bank after the plane was repossessed from its Middle East owner, who had defaulted on his loan. President Tinubu departs for France 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… pic.twitter.com/fxVj7dKWmW — Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) August 19, 2024 High-end custom-making The news outlet further says the presidential plane is an Airbus A330-200 model, and was manufactured nearly 15 years ago. Nigeria reportedly bought it for $100 million. 'TRT Afrika' could not independently verify the cost of the aircraft. Reports however say it was originally valued at hundreds of millions of US dollars due to its high-end custom-making. Data by AXON Aviation Group, a UK-based aviation consultancy indicates the minimum price for a new basic Airbus A330-200 model is $230 million. Wide-body There are other more expensive models of the A330 line. For instance, the A330-300 model costs at least $256 million. Data by Airbus shows that to date, the plane manufacturer has sold 1,805 A330 aircraft globally, with 42 of them acquired in 2023 alone. More than 120 airlines in the world operate the A330 aircraft. The aeroplane is a wide-body aircraft that sits a minimum of 250 people, with certain models of the family accommodating up to 440 people. Parliamentary recommendation A presidential plane is however customised to a government's needs, thereby sitting fewer people. Onanuga said Nigeria replaced President Tinubu's official plane based on "recommendation by Nigeria's parliament which had questioned the safety record and cost efficiency of the Boeing 737-700 plane." Onanuga added that the decision was sealed after the Boeing plane "malfunctioned" during Tinubu's trip to Saudi Arabia in late April 2024. The president's special adviser said the new presidential plane will "reduce downtime and operational expenses." 'Spacious and furnished' Onanuga added in his statement: "The new plane is spacious and is furnished with the state-of-the-art aviation electronics, customised interior and communications system." Records show that Nigeria's presidency currently has at least six aircraft. ➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.