The Brazilian government has begun the process of replacing its presidential jet after ACJ319-100 FAB2101 (msn 2263), used to carry the president, Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, suffered an incident after departing from México City Felipe Angeles on October 1 with da Silva, his wife, and several members of the Brazilian administration onboard.
The 20-year-old aircraft, colloquially known as ‘AeroLula’ because Lula da Silva acquired it during his first presidential term in 2005 for USD167 million, suffered a technical problem with one of its engines which forced the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira) crew to circle Mexico City for five hours before landing again. The president then returned to Brazil on a different plane but was reportedly angry because of what happened as well as the inconsistent onboard connectivity, which prevented him from staying in constant touch with Brasília.
The Brazilian Air Force has launched an investigation into the incident.
Local media in Brazil reported that the country’s minister of defence, José Múcio Monteiro, has been tasked with finding a new aircraft. Lula da Silva had asked for the presidential jet to be replaced at the start of his second term. Last year, it was reported that the country was looking at an ACJ330-200.
“We cannot expose the president to any risk. Now no one will question this expense,” a government source told the news website UOL.
FAB2101 has operated solely for the air force since being delivered in January 2005.
