Inkwazi is a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ / Boeing 737) aircraft that serves as the primary mode of air transportation for the President of South Africa. Operated by 21 Squadron South African Air Force, the aircraft has a seating capacity for six ministers and ten additional passengers.[1] It cost 300 million rand to acquire and another 108 million rand to fit and decorate the interior which can accommodate up to 15 passengers.[2][3] The jet's name means "fish eagle" in Zulu.[4]
| Inkwazi | |
|---|---|
 Boeing 737-BBJ "Inkwazi" at Zurich-Kloten Airport in Switzerland | |
| General information | |
| Type | Boeing Business Jet |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Status | Operational with 21 Squadron SAAF |
| Owners | South African Government |
| Registration | ZS-RSA |
| Radio code | LMG1 |
| History | |
| In service | 2001 - Current |
Replacement Tender
editIn November 2015, Armscor issued a tender for the replacement of the Boeing 737 aircraft.[2] The estimated cost of the new aircraft was between 2 billion and 4 billion rand.[5][3] Some of the specific set of criteria included a range of 13,800 km, seating for 30 passengers, a conference room for 8, and a private bedroom and bathroom suite.
The potential replacements include:[6][2]
- The Airbus A330
- The Airbus A340
- The Boeing 777
- The Boeing 787
However, in October 2016, Armscor announced, "none of the bids achieved a full score satisfactorily in the overall evaluation, thus prompting the cancellation of the tender."[7][8] The company stated it would review the tender process and continue searching for a suitable replacement.[8]
Current arrangement
editThe current aircraft continues to be used for regional trips. However, when the ageing aircraft has been grounded for repairs, other private aircraft have been chartered.[9][10] When an intercontinental aircraft with a range of 13,300 km is required, an aircraft has been leased from Fortune Air for almost 2 million rand a month.[11][12][13] The aircraft returned to service as of 2018[update].[14]
References
edit- ^ "SAAF Aircraft". South African Air Force. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ a b c Nhlabathi, Hlengiwe; Gibson, Erika (8 November 2015). "R4 billion VIP jet for Zuma?". Citypress. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ a b News24, Lizeka Tandwa. "New presidential jet will make Nkandla seem like child's play - Maimane". News24. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Laing, Aislinn (29 June 2012). "Jacob Zuma 'to buy presidential jet despite South Africa's poverty'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
- ^ "Presidency requests info about Zuma's 'new jet' | eNCA". www.enca.com. Retrieved 29 January 2021.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "This is what Zuma's R4 billion plane could look like". 9 November 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ Wakeford, Kevin (25 October 2016). "STRICT TENDER COMPLIANCE KEY TO ARMSCOR'S SUCCESS" (PDF). ARMSCOR. ARMSCOR. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Armscor cancels intercontinental jet tender for South African Air Force". www.polity.org.za. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Abuse of power: African leaders and their flying machines". France 24. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ Ramaphosa, Cyril (4 March 2018). "Arrived to a very warm reception in Gaborone". Twitter.
- ^ Serrao, Angelique (6 March 2018). "Ramaphosa uses controversial businessman Zunaid Moti's private jet for official trip". News24. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Zuma's R500m backup Boeing is on its way". TimesLIVE. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Zuma ditches presidential plane for a rental that costs R2 million a month". Business Tech. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ Helfrich, Kim (21 November 2018). "Inkwazi flying again". defenceWeb. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
See also
edit
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