President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent journey to Saudi Arabia for an economic summit was plagued by aviation setbacks. The primary presidential aircraft, a Boeing 737 business jet operated by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF 001), had been undergoing maintenance for weeks.

During a stopover in the Netherlands, another aircraft experienced technical issues, including an oxygen leak. As a result, President Tinubu and his entourage had to abandon the government aircraft and charter a private jet, a Falcon 8X 9H-GRC, to continue their journey.

Other members of the delegation traveled on separate support aircraft and commercial airlines.

The incident highlights ongoing maintenance challenges faced by the presidential air fleet. NAF 001 has undergone extensive repairs at least seven times in the past three years, with over $8 million spent solely on fixing the plane since December 2022.

Concerns have been raised about the age and frequent breakdowns of the Boeing 737 business jet, which has served all Nigerian presidents since the Fourth Republic.

The incident has reignited discussions about the maintenance costs of the presidential air fleet. Some argue that the funds could be better allocated to other areas of economic development.

Despite the setbacks, President Tinubu and his delegation have arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in the World Economic Forum, where they will engage in economic and diplomatic deliberations with global leaders.