Dangote acquires a new private jet

A brand new Bombardier‘s Global Express XRS private jet belonging to business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, made its maiden entry in the Nigerian airspace, as it landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in the early hours of Saturday, from Montreal, Canada.

The eight-seater aircraft currently parked at the General Aviation Terminal, near Associated Airlines‘ hangar, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt, is valued at over $45m. Interestingly, the arrival of the aircraft coincided with Dangote‘s birthday. He was 53 on Saturday.

The aircraft which is laced with latest flight facilities, aviation sources said, is one of the most luxurious in the world.

The passenger jet which touched MMIA from Canada in a 9.3 hours flight at about 7:05 am, it was further learnt, could travel from Lagos to China in a non-stop flight.

The sources said another two business moguls in Nigeria had ordered for the same brand of aircraft, and the planes would soon arrive the country.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Saturday evening, the Sales Director for Africa, Bombardier Business Aircraft, Mr. Robert Habjanic, confirmed that he was in the team that came with the jet from Canada.

He said, ”This delivery marks an important milestone in our rapidly growing presence in Nigeria. Our Global Express XRS aircraft‘s combination of speed, range, safety, and efficiency makes it the perfect solution for the growing travel requirements and international activities of leading corporations, based in the region.”

According to Habjanic, Dangote is one of the first Nigerians to take the delivery of the aircraft, adding that few other business moguls in the country had ordered for the same Global Express XRS business jet, and that they would soon arrive in the country.

SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered that the superior long range aircraft was acquired in response to an increasingly busy travel schedule of the mogul whose business tentacles have grown beyond the African frontier.

Bombardier Incorporated is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended January. 31, 2009, were $19.7 b and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes.

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