The Federal Government is building a helipad in Daura, Katsina State,
in order to ensure a direct flight for President Muhammadu Buhari
whenever he visits his country home.
The helipad, will save President Buhari the
hassles of embarking on a road journey from Katsina Airport. A source said on Saturday that the helipad when completed will make
it easy to fly the President in one of the Presidential helicopters
straight to Daura and by-pass Katsina Airport completely.
“I can tell you that right now, they are building a Helipad in Daura
and when it is completed he doesn’t have to fly to Katsina Airport
again. Helipad is a kind of landing for Helicopters”, the source said.
The source confirmed that presently there are
only six functional Aircraft at the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF).
“The maximum number of functional planes we have right now is six and
out of that six there is a high usage for it. Consider that last week in
one day, the President used one to Katsina, the Vice President used the
other one to Lagos, and the Senate President used the third one to
meeting President Olusegun Obasanjo at Abeokuta via Lagos and later to
Ilorin, Kwara state.
“The thing is that all these while, even under the previous government
we only have six serviceable Presidential aircraft,” the source noted.
THISDAY had earlier reported that President Buhari has directed that
nine of the VIP transport aircraft under the presidential fleet should
be sold as part of the federal government’s cost-saving measures.
The Presidency has since denied such directives but industry sources
also informed that the presidential fleet, which are registered
as Nigerian Air Force aircraft, is one of the largest in Africa and the
third largest in Nigeria after Arik Air and Aero Contractors.
Although information on the exact size of the fleet is treated as
classified information, the fleet, according to aviation sources, is
believed to comprise about 16 aircraft, chief of which is the Boeing 738
BBJ, NAF 001 or Eagle One, used by the president for his travels.
Eagle One can spend 12 hours in the air, covering 11,489 kilometres or 6,200 nautical miles.
In addition to the Boeing 733 reserved for the president, the fleet
boasts two Gulfstream 550 jets. The Gulfstream 550 can seat eight to 18
passengers, depending on the configuration, and has a cruiser range of
12,501 kilometres or 6,750 nautical miles. A new luxury Gulfstream 550
would cost an estimated $53.5 million.
According to Wikipedia, other planes in the Nigerian Air Force VIP
transport fleet include two Dassault Falcon 7X jets, one Hawker Siddeley
125-800 and one Cessna 550 Citation II.
Information from a Nigerian web portal and Nigerian Air Force sources
further revealed that the fleet also boasts two Dassault Falcon 900
jets, a Gulfstream IVSP, a Gulfstream V, a Dornier Do 228, which can
carry 19 passengers, one Beechcraft King Air B200, and three Augusta
Westland AW139 helicopters.
Sources said each of the two Dassault Falcon 7X jets were purchased for
$51.1 million in 2010, while the Gulfstream 550 costs $53.3 million.
Aviation experts also put the average price of the Falcon 900 at $35
million; Gulfstream IVSP at $40 million; Gulfstream V at $45 million;
Cessna Citation at $7 million; and the Hawker Siddeley at $15 million.
It was also said that though all the aircraft are under the
presidential fleet, about eight of the planes are reserved strictly for
the president. These are the Boeing 737, the two Gulfstream 550 jets,
the Gulfstream V jet, two Falcon 7X planes, the Hawker Siddeley aircraft
and one Augusta Westland chopper.
Others are reserved for executive airlift. Aircraft used for this
function include the two Falcon 900 planes, the Dornier, the Cessna
Citation, the Beechracft King Air, and two Augusta Westland choppers.
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