Mexico is trying to find a new home for its luxurious presidential Boeing 787. The aircraft used to fly the elites of the Mexican government including Mexico’s President. However, the 787 has largely been viewed as wasteful by current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who is now looking to sell it. It appears that Mexico is trying to send the jet northward to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Is the Mexican government trying to sell the 787 to Canada?
A report in Global News indicates that President Obrador of Mexico thinks the 787 would serve Canada well with a sticker price of $130 million. While most people will recognize the 787 as a long-range passenger aircraft, this 787 is a little different. Because it is a VIP aircraft, this 787 is configured to handle about 80 passengers. With an extensive presidential suite, this aircraft is not quite for commercial service.
It is pretty clear that Mexico has zero interest in flying this aircraft. The aircraft has sat for about a year piling up maintenance and parking costs. Despite this, President Obrador has vowed to fly commercially – coach even!
To President Obrador, this 787 is a fixture of opulence that is not fitting for his country. Currently, the plan appears to be for the Mexican government to raffle off the massive Boeing 787. What a person does after winning the aircraft is a completely different story.
Why would Canada buy this plane?
Well, in short, Canada needs a new aircraft for VIP transport. Currently, the Canadian Prime Minister gets to fly in an Airbus A310-300. These aircraft are getting old and are causing some headaches, such as this incident in late 2019:
More plane problems for @JustinTrudeau… the plane that flew the Canadian delegation to London, UK can’t make the trip back – statement from PMO#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/ww47guTC3F
— Mike Le Couteur (@mikelecouteur) December 4, 2019
As a result, Canada is looking for a new aircraft. While there have been no announcements as to which aircraft will fly Canada’s Prime Minister, it will likely be either a Boeing or Airbus plane.
The Mexican VIP 787 is far newer and less likely to cause any sort of difficulties for Prime Minister Trudeau. And, with a greater range than the A310, the Canadian Prime Minister can fly this 787 even further. Not to mention, the 787 is far more efficient which would make this an excellent option.
However, Mexico only has one of these aircraft. The Royal Canadian Air Force, which flies the VIP transport aircraft, would likely need more than one to cover in case of issues with the aircraft. This would mean that Canada would have to order some more aircraft from Boeing. This would be a small boost for Boeing, however, as the aircraft manufacturer is preparing to cut Dreamliner production.
In addition, there would be the added training and induction costs for the aircraft. The Royal Canadian Air Force would have to prepare for inflight refueling, retrain pilots, and familiarize maintenance workers and crew with the 787. While this might work out in the long-run if Canada takes several 787s, this would be a short-term headache for Canada.
Do you think Canada should buy this former Mexican VIP 787? Let us know in the comments!
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