Since 2018, the Mexican government has had its presidential aircraft (registration XC-MEX)
parked and stored while trying, unsuccessfully, to sell it. In 2022, the country will pay
US$16 million to keep it stored. Why is the Mexican government having such a hard time
selling this aircraft?
In 2012, the former Mexican president Felipe Calderón signed a deal to acquire a new presidential
jet through a lease with the Mexican National Works and Public Services Bank, or Banobras.
The government acquired a Boeing 787-8 private jet, which was one of Boeing’s first Dreamliners
ever built, and had its first flight on October 4th, 2010.
Banobras, a State-owned bank, owns the aircraft and leases it to the National Defense Secretariat
(Sedena).
The Mexican government paid US$114.6 million for the aircraft but the final cost increased
to US$218.7 million because it had to be retrofitted and become a sort of “air bunker” for
the Mexican president. The government signed a 15-year lease for the aircraft, which is
set to expire in 2027.
Mexico received the aircraft in February 2016, and former Mexican president Enrique Peña
Nieto used it widely throughout the last few years of its mandate. Nevertheless, the airplane
became a political tool when the new government arrived, under current president Andrés Manuel
López Obrador. While in the campaign to get elected, current
Mexican president Mr. López Obrador said that the presidential Dreamliner was an excess.
He said he would never use the aircraft, and so far, he hasn’t. Additionally, he said
he would sell it, as it was a quote “Pharaonic and indecent aircraft.”
So far, despite holding a widespread raffle, he hasn’t been able to get rid of the Dreamliner.
Instead, XC-MEX has been living the past few years flying between Mexico City and Victorville,
where it receives maintenance. It has been stored while the president flies on commercial
airlines. According to a recent valuation of the aircraft,
the Dreamliner is worth approximately US$130 million.
In 2022, the Mexican government said it will spend US$16 million to keep on paying the
lease for an aircraft that it simply won’t use. Additionally, it has to keep paying millions
to maintain the aircraft in airworthiness conditions. The authorities keep claiming
that they will, eventually, sell the Dreamliner. Given the fact that it is a private aircraft,
it has a unique configuration that makes it unattractive for commercial airlines.
Despite the difficulties, the government has found some possible buyers. For example, in
January 2021, it was reported that the firm Isatech made an offer of US$138 million for
the Dreamliner and two additional aircraft. If accepted, Isatech would have paid a percentage
in cash and another percentage using cryptocurrency. The Mexican government refused to take this
offer. Most likely, the government will keep the
jet stored until señor López Obrador’s term finishes and will keep on paying the
lease. After that, the aircraft could have a second stint as Mexico’s presidential
jet….but we’ll just have to wait and see. Do you think the Mexican government will find
a new owner for the presidential Boeing 787 Dreamliner? What do you think it should do
with the aircraft? Let us know
in the comments.