Finally, FG Opens Bid For $22.9m Presidential Jet

Following series of calls for the government to reduce the costs of governance, the Federal Government has finally put one of the jets in the presidential fleet up for sale.

The Hawker 4000 aircraft with registration number, 5N-FGX/: RC 066, was advertised for sale in a call for bid published in some national dailies.

Based on figures from the manufacturer of the aircraft,
Hawker 4000 plane is valued at $22.9m as of 2012.

The advert said the jet, which has been in use since December 2011, has capacity for nine passengers and three crew members, and a range of 3,190-nautical mile flown.

It said interested buyers should inspect the aircraft at the presidential air fleet’s hangar located at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The advertisement also said interested buyers would have to submit their closed bid to the committee for sale of aircraft at the office of the National Security Adviser, alongside a bank draft of $50,000.

The advert reads, “Please note that all bids must be submitted within one week of this publication.

“Background check is required as a pre-qualification for the bid. Prospective bidders, who want to inspect the aircraft, will be granted access within one week from this advertisement.”

As of 2015, the PAF contains 10 aircraft. These are: Boeing Business Jet (Boeing 737-800 or AirForce One), one Gulfstream 550, one Gulfstream V (Gulfstream 500), two Falcons 7X, one Hawker Sidley 4000, two AgustaWestland AW 139 helicopters and two AgustaWestland AW 101 helicopters.

Each of the two Falcon 7X jets were purchased in 2010 by the Federal Government for $51.1m, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3m.

The Federal Government had in 2016 put up two presidential aircraft — Falcon 7X executive jet and Hawker 4000 for sale.

The presidential fleet is known to gulp resources for a country with the highest rate of extreme poverty and where healthcare remains a luxury.

Between 2011 and 2020, the sum of N73.3bn was allocated from the budget for maintaining the presidential air fleet.

The allocations comprise a recurrent and capital expenditure of N35.9bn and 37.4bn respectively, with an average of N7bn budget annually.