‘Why acquisition of new presidential jet may not be easy’

PURCHASING an aircraft can be described as a daunting task as it is not an item that can be picked off the shelf in view of the procedure that involves the process of acquiring it.

To begin, the process of acquiring a new plane amongst critical processes to be considered, between the buyer and the manufacturer, include the availability of space by the manufacturer which will determine the date of its delivery, the specification including the configurations, the interior design and other logistics that may come up.

Besides these, the time of indicating interest by the would-be buyer may also depend on the number of similar orders placed by hundreds of airlines and private investors worldwide.

The above reasons are responsible for why the aircraft manufacturers don’t meet up with their delivery dates in line with the agreement between them and the would-be buyer.

Equally, since aircraft manufacturing requires many different kinds of metals like aluminum, copper, steel, titanium, manganese, chromium, nickel, and more and for the obvious fact that these materials are found, not in one place but all over the world, sourcing them can be difficult, and late delivery or insufficient quality can hold up production timelines.

Therefore, aircraft deliveries can be spread across a long period of time due to various external factors that can affect a manufacturer’s ability to maintain the planned delivery schedule and an airline’s ability to operate optimally.

In view of these obvious facts,  the ambitious plan by the federal government to acquire another aircraft for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may not come to fruition in the next one year.

Corroborating this, the Managing Director of Aero Contractor airline, Captain Ado Sanusi, during an interview with Arise Television, said in view of the long procedures involved in purchasing a new aircraft and other unforeseen circumstances, may take the Nigerian government longer than it thought to take delivery of such aircraft.

According to Sanusi, the alternative option the government can explore if it’s so eager to get a presidential jet for Tinubu will be to buy a slot.

Buying of an aircraft. through a slot arrangement refers to a specific time period allocated for the aircraft delivery which allows the buyer to choose when he wants the aircraft delivered.

Buying  a slot by the government for quicker delivery of the aircraft Sanusi however said may not give room for specification of the presidency.

Using the opportunity to speak on the over flogged issue of Nigeria having a national carrier after the aborted Nigeria Air project, the Aero Contractor MD said in as much it would have been good for the country to have a national carrier, the question is if the move is feasible or if the country under the present circumstances have the capacity to do that.

Acknowledging the fact that having a national carrier would have helped the country to maximize its Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) rights with other countries,

Sanusi took time to lament how the failed project of Nigeria Air was not done properly.

He wondered why the then government failed to explore the opportunity the existence of the two domestic airlines, Aero Contractor and Arik Air under the receivership of  Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) for government to float a national carrier instead of wasting money on the now failed Nigeria Air.

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