The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration plans to trim the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) by selling three aircraft.
News About Nigeria reports that the move is aimed at tackling the rising costs associated with maintaining the ten fleets, which include jets and helicopters.
The current fleet consists of a mix of aircraft, including six jets: the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 737 (presidential jet—Air Force One), two Gulfstream G550s, two Gulfstream G500s, two Falcon 7Xs, and an HS 4000, as well as four helicopters: two Agusta 139s and two Agusta 101s.
A presidential source recently disclosed that President Tinubu is not comfortable with the rising cost of maintenance, hence his directive for the reduction in the fleet size.
“The President is uncomfortable with the rising cost of maintaining the planes. Three planes have been pencilled in for disposal. The main reason is to reduce high maintenance costs.
“I think officers in PAF were particularly concerned about the frequency of maintenance and how much it costs the nation.
“The President decided to let off the aircraft that constitute the most burdensome,” the source said in a chat with The Nation.
The source further explained why some of the planes are currently being used by top government officials.
He said, “It takes a lot of time to connect some African countries by air. In such a situation, the Presidential Air Fleet is handy.
“The use of the fleet is domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for effective management.”
If successful, the planned sale will reduce the fleet to seven aircraft.
This isn’t the first attempt to shrink the PAF. In 2016, two jets were put up for sale, but the deal fell through due to a significant reduction in the final offer by the bidders.
The high cost of maintaining the PAF has been a concern for some time. Budgetary allocations for maintenance have steadily increased over the years, reaching a peak of N12.7 billion in 2023.
An investigation reveals that the government might have incurred a cost of over $5 million in maintenance fees in the past few months.
