The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) presented proposals to the government for the acquisition of a new presidential plane, with an estimated cost of US$250 million (around R$1.45 billion). Despite the urgency expressed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), following technical problems with the current aircraft, the decision faces resistance due to the need to control expenses and the search for balance in public accounts.
Data from the Central Bank (BC) show that the primary deficit of the consolidated public sector was 2.15% of GDP in the 12 months ended in September, with the federal government being mainly responsible for this situation. The situation reinforces the difficulties in approving an investment of this magnitude.
Problems in Mexico increased pressure on Janja for new plane
Replacing the current Airbus A319CJ, nicknamed “Aerolula”, became a priority after a technical breakdown in October forced the aircraft to fly over Mexican airspace for more than four hours. Purchased in 2005 for US$56.7 million, the plane has a range limited to 8,500 km, insufficient for direct flights to distant destinations such as Europe or Asia, which requires stops for refueling.
Lula is looking for an aircraft with greater autonomy, high-speed internet, a double bedroom, bathroom with shower, large meeting room and the possibility of in-flight refueling.
The first lady, Janja, openly criticizes the discomfort and frequent need for stopovers, emphasizing that changing planes is a matter of “safety and institutional efficiency”.
“We end up being irresponsible with the life of the President of the Republic – I’m not talking about President Lula, but the President of Brazil. So we end up being irresponsible with this, putting him on an aircraft with so many problems. We need to have more responsibility with the position”, said the first lady to CNN Brasil
The options analyzed for the new presidential plane
The Air Force is evaluating two options involving planes from the European manufacturer Airbus, both with the same cost:
- Used plane (manufactured in 2016): already configured with configurations similar to those desired by Lula and Janja and expected to be delivered within a year. It would only need to be fully adapted to Brazilian requirements;
- New plane: manufactured to order, with delivery estimated in one and a half years.
According to the Power 360In a meeting with Airbus, held on October 29, the Ministry of Defense discussed alternatives that could speed up delivery, reducing the initially scheduled period of two years.
Replacing the “Aerolula” was already a demand from the president at the beginning of his term. A previous proposal to adapt an Airbus A330-200 purchased from Azul during the Jair Bolsonaro government was discarded due to the high costs of installing an internet system on board and pressure from the economic team regarding the need to control expenses.
