Why Tinubu Flew to South Africa on Chartered Aircraft

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu traveled to Pretoria for the second-term inauguration of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on a chartered aircraft. The decision was prompted by the unavailability of the presidential jet, which is currently undergoing maintenance.

Sources within the government disclosed that the Nigerian Air Force 001, a 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) designated for presidential use, is undergoing a C-Check and thus could not be used for the trip. Additionally, other aircraft in the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) are also in poor condition and undergoing routine maintenance.

Earlier this year, a trip by Vice President Kashim Shettima to the United States was canceled due to a fault in his official jet, highlighting ongoing issues with the fleet.

“The President opted for a chartered plane because most aircraft in the PAF are undergoing maintenance due to their poor condition. The BBJ, which is over 20 years old, was also affected. None of the other jets could be recalled from their maintenance checks to fly the President to South Africa,” a government source said.

Despite this, the President’s safety and technical audits of the aircraft remain a top priority. The Presidential Fleet, which includes 10 aircraft such as Boeing Business Jets, Gulfstreams, Falcons, and Agusta helicopters, has been under scrutiny for its maintenance costs. Since 2016, the presidency has spent over N80 billion on the fleet.

In the past year, President Tinubu has considered reducing the fleet from 10 to seven aircraft as part of cost-saving measures. The BBJ, Falcon, and Embraer jets are among those likely to be retired. The BBJ was originally purchased for about $43 million during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s presidency.

Efforts to sell two aircraft in 2016, a Dassault Falcon 7x and a Beechcraft Hawker 4000, were unsuccessful after preferred bidders significantly lowered their offer from $24 million to $11 million, which was rejected by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.