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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Monday he has now essentially given up on his quixotic bid to sell off the presidential jet, and will rent it out for weddings or parties.
López Obrador admitted the government has not been able to sell the Boeing 787 jet, which he calls too luxurious and refuses to use.
Instead, the president said he will simply give the jet to a military-led company that will operate the new Mexico City Felipe Angeles airport. The plane will be parked there and will be available for people to rent to hold in-flight parties aboard.
“The rental fees will pay for its expenses and maintenance,” López Obrador said. “It will be open to the public if anyone wants it, because they’re getting married … and they want to bring their friends and family … or coming of age parties, birthdays.”
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FILE – In this July 27, 2020 file photo, a soldier stands guard inside the former Mexican presidential plane during a media tour following the daily, morning press conference of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. López Obrador’s quixotic bid to sell off the presidential jet has now stretched into its third year in 2021, with no sign of a buyer in sight. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) -
FILE – In this July 27, 2020 file photo, soldiers stand guard inside the former Mexican presidential plane during a media tour following the daily, morning press conference of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. López Obrador’s quixotic bid to sell off the presidential jet has now stretched into its third year in 2021, with no sign of a buyer in sight. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) -
This undated photo provided by Mexico’s presidential press office shows a seating area inside Mexico’s presidential plane. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 that the raffle of the luxurious Boeing Dreamliner will actually be symbolic, awarding total prize money of $100 million, which lottery tickets state is “equivalent to the value of the presidential jet.” López Obrador flies tourist class on commercial flights and views the jet, bought for more than $200 million by his predecessor, as wasteful. (Mexico’s presidential press office via AP) -
FILW – This Dec. 3, 2018 file photo provided by the Mexican Presidential press office shows the presidential airplane at the presidential hangar at Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. Mexico is trying to sell its luxurious presidential jet to Canada, but will raffle the plane off if the Canadians don’t want it, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. (Mexican Presidential press office via AP, File)
Mexican families frequently throw elaborate parties for their daughters when they turn 15.
Since 2018, López Obrador has tried to lure corporations and business executives to buy the jet, and even held a symbolic raffle for it.
López Obrador prides himself on his austerity, flies commercial flights and has made only one trip abroad.
He has said the jet is hard to sell because it is too specialized and made-to-order. He said the government would still be open to offers for the plane, but after almost 3 1/2 years, that possibility seems remote.
The plane was purchased for $200 million and was used by the previous president, Enrique Peña Nieto. It has been difficult to sell because it is configured to carry only 80 people and has a full presidential suite with a private bath. Experts say it would be costly to reconfigure into a typical passenger jet that would carry up to 300 passengers.
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