President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima have opted for chartered flights as both of Nigeria’s presidential jets undergo repairs, leaving them without official aircraft for their recent travels.
According to The Gazette, Tinubu was in The Hague for diplomatic engagements when he learned of unspecified problems with his main luxury jet, forcing him to use a charter jet to travel to Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Shettima was recently spotted in Iperu-Remo, also utilizing a chartered plane from a Lagos-based consortium for his official trip.
The Gulfstream G550 aircraft, typically designated for Vice-President Shettima, was temporarily assigned to President Tinubu due to his dedicated Boeing 737 undergoing maintenance since March 25 at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg.
Despite repairs, the Gulfstream jet was sent to Saudi Arabia for Tinubu’s official trip, indicating ongoing challenges with the presidential air fleet.
“Many of us in this administration are more concerned about the clear danger that the planes are signalling than any ridicule from their frequent breakdowns.
“We are being told that the planes are old, and there should be serious consideration towards their replacement,” an official quoted in the report said.
