President Bola Ahmed Tinubu encountered aviation hiccups during his recent journey to a Saudi Arabian economic summit, reportedly due to a series of aircraft malfunctions. This forced him to resort to commercial aviation services and charter jets to reach his destination.
The president’s primary luxury aircraft, a Boeing 737 business jet operated by the Nigerian Air Force 001, has been undergoing maintenance for several weeks. Additionally, another aircraft experienced technical issues, including an oxygen leak, while in the Netherlands.
Consequently, President Tinubu and his entourage had to forego the Nigerian government aircraft and utilize a charter jet company to continue their journey to Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.
The president, accompanied by some aides, traveled on a Falcon 8X 9H-GRC private jet, while other members of the delegation, including ministers and high-ranking officials, utilized separate support aircraft and commercial airlines.
This incident is not an isolated occurrence for the presidential air fleet, which has encountered maintenance challenges and repairs over time. Records indicate that the Boeing 737 has undergone extensive repairs at least seven times in the past three years, with over $8 million spent solely on fixing the plane since December 2022.
The presidential air fleet has long grappled with reliability issues, with the current Boeing 737 business jet class operated by the Nigerian Air Force 001 being one of the oldest in the fleet. Although it has served all Nigerian presidents since the uninterrupted Fourth Republic, concerns have emerged regarding its age and frequent breakdowns.
The incident has reignited discussions about the maintenance costs of the presidential air fleet. With over $8 million expended on repairs since December 2022, questions have arisen about the justification for such expenses. Some argue that these funds could be more effectively allocated to other critical areas of economic development.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu and his delegation have successfully arrived in Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum, where they will participate in economic and diplomatic deliberations with global leaders.
