President Bola Tinubu traveled to Paris, France, on Monday aboard a newly acquired Airbus A330. This aircraft was one of the jets recently seized by Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co., a Chinese firm. The jet was released by the firm last Friday to facilitate the President’s travel to France.
Ajuri Ngelale, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed in a Sunday night statement that the President would be traveling to France, although the purpose of the trip was not disclosed. News Review reported that the jet landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Sunday, and it departed for France around 3:30 pm on Monday.
Unlike previous trips, there were no formal ceremonies for the departure. The jet was one of three aircraft seized by a French court last Wednesday at the request of the Chinese firm due to an alleged breach of contract by the Ogun State government.
The aircraft was received by Nigeria’s Presidential Air Fleet, led by their commander, Air Vice Marshal Olayinka Olusola. The Airbus A330-200, which is 14 years and nine months old, was originally repossessed from an indebted oil sheikh who had used it as collateral for a loan from a German bank.
The deal to acquire the jet, brokered by L & L International LLC, an American aviation firm, was valued at over $100 million. A presidency official described it as an excellent deal, estimating the aircraft’s real market value at around $600 million, according to Premium Times.
The Airbus A330-200, with serial number 1043, was produced in Toulouse and first flew on September 10, 2009. It has a seating configuration of F25 and is powered by two RR Trent 772B-60 engines. The A330 is a wide-body aircraft developed by Airbus, with the A330-200 variant entering service in 1998.
