Buhari Orders The Sale Of Nine Presidential Aircraft

                            

The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, has reportedly ordered the sale of nine presidential jets in a bid to cut cost reports ThisDay. The Nigerian presidential air fleet is one of the largest in the world with some of the most expensive aircraft on earth reserved for VIP transport for the president. It seems all that is about to change. 

The aircraft are to be disposed off so as to cut costs of maintenance. The Nigerian federal government spends over N12 billion naira every year to maintain the presidential air fleet. The fleet is believed to have about 16 aircraft, one of which is the Boeing 738BBJ also called NAF 001 or Eagle One, which is used for the presidential travels. It has a master bedroom, showers, washrooms, conference and dining area, living area and can take up to 25 – 50 passengers and cost around $100 million for a replacement. 

 

The following are some of the aircraft in the fleet: two Gulfstream 550s, two Dassault Falcon 7X jets, one Hawker Siddeley 125-800, one Cessna 550 Citation II. two Dassault Falcon 900 jets, a Gulfstream IVSP, a Gulfstream V, a Dornier Do 228, which can carry 19 passengers, one Beechcraft King Air B200, and three AugustaWestland AW139 helicopters. Some of the aircraft, about eight, are said to be reserved strictly for the president while others are used for executive airlift of people like the Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, top officials Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or African heads of states visiting or departing Nigeria.

source:http://naijarchives.com