After nearly 4 1/2 years of seeking, Mexico’s president announced Thursday that he had finally sold the unwanted presidential jet – to Tajikistan, a former Soviet nation.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that the Tajik government paid approximately $92 million for the Boeing 787 aeroplane.
After taking office on December 1, 2018, López Obrador declined to utilise the jet, claiming it was too opulent. The president, who believes in fiscal restraint, frequently flies commercial.
López Obrador had attempted to entice firms and business people to purchase the jet. But there were no takers. He even “raffled off” the plane, which would be costly to turn back into a regular airliner.
The plane cost $200 million and was previously flown by the previous president, Enrique Pea Nieto.
It has been tough to sell because it can only accommodate 80 passengers. And features a full presidential suite with a private bath. According to experts, converting it into a standard passenger plane capable of carrying up to 300 passengers would be too expensive.
Despite the fact that the plane has little miles on it. Mexico was keen to unload it since maintenance costs made it costly to keep parked. There were speculation that the Boeing 787 may be given over to an army-run business for commercial use.
“After a long time, we managed to sell the Presidential Jet To Tajikistan,” said López Obrador in a video clip from inside the plane. Which he had previously refused to enter. “We are content.”
“We’re going to use the proceeds from the sale of the plane to build two hospitals,” he explained.
