The Tinubu Administration has unveiled plans to sell three jets from the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) as part of its efforts to streamline fiscal expenditures.
Reports from The Nation indicate that the PAF, which currently consists of six jets and four helicopters, is slated for downsizing, potentially reducing the fleet to seven aircraft upon approval.
Past attempts to sell two aircraft during President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure faced challenges, with initial offers of $24 million for a Dassault Falcon 7x executive jet and a Beechcraft Hawker 4000 business jet. However, the government declined a reduced bid of $11 million at that time.
In a bid to generate revenue and mitigate maintenance costs, the possibility of offering some aircraft for charter services to interested governors has been explored, though the details of this arrangement are yet to be fully outlined.
The Presidential Air Fleet includes a Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) 737, Gulfstream G550, Gulfstream G500, two Falcon 7X, HS 4000, two Agusta 139, and two Agusta 101. Notably, the BBJ 737 serves as the Nigerian Air Force One, exclusively dedicated to fulfilling the President’s travel requirements.
