Emeka Nweze
The president is the number one citizen of the country, and as such, his safety and comfort, especially while traveling is of paramount importance. Countries all over the world provide designated aircraft for their leaders and top officials, depending on the nature of the trip. The United States has one of the most popular presidential aircraft, the Air Fore One which is packed with state of the art tech such as advanced communication equipment, unlimited range and the ability to refuel mid-air.
The Nigerian Air Force has among its fleet, a number of aircraft that transport the president to wherever he needs to be with top notch safety and comfort. Below is a list of all the aircraft in the presidential fleet.
Boeing Business Jet (737)
The Boeing 737 is the primary as a means of transport for the President of Nigeria. The luxurious aircraft which seats between 25 and 50 passengers has a master bedroom, a washroom with showers, a conference/dining area, and a living area along with state of the art security equipment for the safety of the president. The aircraft is known as “Eagle One” and is marked NAF-001. Prices for the 737 start from around $91 million
Gulfstream V-SP
The Gulfstream V is a long-range, large business jet aircraft produced by Gulfstream Aerospace. It flies up to Mach 0.885, up to 51,000 feet and has a 6,500 nautical miles, and typically accommodates four crew and 14 passengers. The jet costs approximately $36 million.
Gulfstream G550
The Gulfstream G550 is a business jet aircraft produced by General Dynamics’ Gulfstream Aerospace unit. The jet houses two pilots, two crew members and between 14 to 19 passengers. The 2017 version of the G550 is sold at $61 million.
Falcon 7Xs
The Dassault Falcon 7X is a large-cabin, 5,950 nautical miles (11,020 km) range business jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The jet has the capacity to carry the president, 15 members of his entourage, two pilots and a crew member. Unit cost of the Falcon 7Xs is kept at $53.8 million, and the Nigerian AirForce owns two.
Dornier Do 228
The Dornier Do 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, designed and first manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. It has a top speed of 443km/h, a range of 1,111 km and a capacity to carry 19 passengers.
AW139 helicopters
The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engined helicopter developed and built by AgustaWestland, now called Leonardo. The AW139 can be used for several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol. It costs $12 million and has a top speed of 310 km/h .
Previous aircrafts
Two Falcon 900s (sold)
GIV-SP (sold)
G II (sold)
A Citation Bravo ( returned to the Air Force )
Hawker 800 ( returned to the Air Force )
