As I first wrote about a few weeks ago, the years-long saga involving the Mexican government’s Boeing 787 is finally over. I wanted to provide an update, as this aircraft is now enroute to Tajikistan. It’s not often you see a nonstop flight from San Bernardino to Dushanbe…
In this post:
The basics of Mexico’s unwanted Boeing 787
Back in 2012, the government of Mexico spent $218 million acquiring a Boeing 787-8, intended to act as the new plane for the president of Mexico. Plans for that changed in 2018, when Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was elected as president.
He’s more of a “man of the people,” and has opted to take commercial flights rather than use the Boeing 787, claiming it’s a waste of money, and an “insult” to the people of Mexico. Heck, he has even often been spotted in economy.
Unfortunately for years, the government struggled to figure out what to do with this plane. Since 2018, the government has been trying to sell the Boeing 787, but didn’t have luck. As you’d expect, this plane is specially outfitted, so you’d need a buyer looking for the private jet equivalent of the Boeing 787. Converting this into a passenger aircraft would simply be too costly for that to make sense.
In 2020, Lopez Obrador got creative, and planned to have a national raffle where someone could win the Boeing 787. Of course that almost sounds like a joke — even if you win the plane, what are you actually supposed to do with it, given the maintenance and operating costs?
In 2022, the government was planning on offering this plane for charter for the purposes of party rentals. Then at another point, the idea was to use the jet to relaunch Mexicana (which went bankrupt in 2009) as a government run airline.
Mexico’s Boeing 787 going to… Tajikistan?
On April 20, 2023, the president of Mexico announced that the country’s Boeing 787 has been sold to the government of Tajikistan for 1.658 billion pesos, which is just over $92 million.
The money from the sale will be invested in two hospitals in Mexico, which will be built by military engineers, and opened before the end of the current term. In a video about this sale, Mexico’s president talked about how in the past, authorities acted “like little pharaohs,” but “not anymore.”
You can see a video below about the announcement, which is also pretty awesome, as it provides a tour of the jet. The Boeing 787 has everything from a bedroom to a treadmill.
I suppose it’s great that Mexico has finally gotten rid of this plane, though:
- It kind of sucks to purchase something for $212 million in 2012 and then sell it for $92 million over a decade later, not accounting for the tens of millions of dollars in maintenance costs
- Hopefully the next president of Mexico doesn’t just end up buying an expensive jet, after this one was sold
Presumably Tajikistan has purchased this Boeing 787 for the “president” (which I put in quotes, because the country’s leader has been in power since 1994, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union).
The average annual income in Tajikistan is somewhere around $500, so one has to wonder if this money couldn’t be spent a bit more efficiently. After all, the purchase price for this jet is equal to the annual salary of roughly 184,000 people in the country.
The Boeing 787 is now enroute to Tajikistan
Nomadic Aviation Group is a fascinating company that ferries aircraft around the world, especially when a plane is transferred between two parties. The people behind the company are huge avgeeks (as you’d expect), and they share lots of interesting stories on Twitter about their ferry experiences.
After departing Mexico, this Boeing 787 was in San Bernardino, California (SBD), getting a new livery prior to the plane being flown to Tajikistan. After all, I imagine Tajikistan’s leader wants a big celebration when his new plane arrives. Below you can see some pictures of the new livery.
The aircraft is now enroute to Dushanbe, Tajikistan (DYU), operating as flight OMD195. At 7,418 miles, this is an ultra long haul flight.
The aircraft departed San Bernardino at 3:20AM local time on Sunday morning, and is expected to arrive in Dushanbe shortly after 6AM local time on Monday morning.
Bottom line
The government of Mexico has finally unloaded its Boeing 787, which was purchased back in 2012 for $218 million. The airplane has been purchased by Tajikistan’s government for around $92 million. After getting a new livery, the new aircraft is already enroute to Central Asia, in what can only be described as an interesting delivery flight.
It’s pretty admirable that Mexico’s president is taking this approach and would rather invest in hospitals than huge government jets. However, here’s to hoping that the next president in Mexico doesn’t just place an equally excessive aircraft order.
What do you make of Tajikistan acquiring Mexico’s Boeing 787?
Nomadic is awesome! Definitely looking forward to this episode when they release it on their youtube
I love watching the Nomadic group, what an interesting skill set those pilots have!
I Don't see them loading " COKE" or Pepsi from Originating airport.
Almo is such a trash person.
He's a lefty win version of Trump.
He appeals to the dumb uneducated working class types in mexico.
Tajik flag not that different from Mexican flag -- red, white and green color blocks, horizontal but not vertical. And the eagle with serpent is replaced by a crown with stars.
Was this plane one of Boeing's "terrible teen" 787?
I happen to know the socio-economic situation of Tajikistan relatively well. A Dreamliner plane for government travel is arguably what they least need.
Ben, nomadic aviation also has a YouTube channel called cockpit casual where they document some of their work. Minus the fact that one of the guys over at nomadic is an eagles fan, it's a really great channel
Power to the People of Tajikistan. Congratulations on acquiring a wonderful aircraft.
It would have made sense for Trudeau to buy this for himself (Canada). Now when he exceeds a dozen or so he just adds on more Challenger 600's. He famously had a meeting in Toronto and had at least Challengers transport the Cabinet.
It certainly would cost less than hes recent holiday in the Caribbean.
"had at least 3 Challengers"
too bad he wasn't in the original one
He showed up at the coronation in a vip A-310. It was nice to see!
What about the cost? If he and his staffs and everyone uses a commercial flight then would that be more expensive for his trips?
I suspect that his security requirements aren't exwthe same as those for POTUS (who takes their own private car everywhere). The staff almost certainly fly commercial anyway.
With AMLO, it's not about the cost, it's about the optics. "Ooh lookie, I fly economy, I'm a man of the people!"
It seems reasonable to me for the leader of a country as large, and economically well off as Mexico to have a 787. The Mexican president travels with a lot of staff and media, and the country has the resources to support this. AMLO doesn't need to fly DL in economy. Tajikistan; however, is a different story. It's ironic that in an effort to support "the people" the Mexican president sells a plane to a faraway country essentially at the expense of those people.
Good chance this plane will end up in Russia.
Seems Tajikistan got a good deal: a basically brand new dreamliner for half the price with prompt delivery, at the expense of the people of Mexico. The reality is that presidents - even of developing countries - need a decent size jet. Can't fly commercial, can't charter, need long range, etc. There has been and there will be no financial windfall for the mexican taxpayers from this.
Can't agree more.
Regis, you are absolutely correct on each point you made. The pretense about savings and costs is all pandering nonsense. I also see some comments on here about Trudeau in Canada. Perhaps, when that country gets a conservative Prime minister, if ever again, they will ensure that he/she travels commercially on Air Canada or Westjet to get around their country and to attend G7 and NATO meetings.
I'd never seen Obrador speak before. I love his style! I also liked the message. This was fun to watch.
Almost as fun to watch as Biden. Both useless...
On Democracy Index, Tajikstan is basically as democratic as China
Eeeh, it's a tricky one. One the one hand I'm strongly against any parasite politician receiving any luxury whatsoever.
On the other - well, that's just the reality, leaders of countries, especially major ones, and Mexico is in that category (as opposed to Tajikistan, for example), fly big jets and there're good reasons for it too. I'd argue a president definitely needs a bed, can sure use a treadmill, and he flies with lots...
Eeeh, it's a tricky one. One the one hand I'm strongly against any parasite politician receiving any luxury whatsoever.
On the other - well, that's just the reality, leaders of countries, especially major ones, and Mexico is in that category (as opposed to Tajikistan, for example), fly big jets and there're good reasons for it too. I'd argue a president definitely needs a bed, can sure use a treadmill, and he flies with lots of people so a Gulfstream won't do.
To me this feels for show. In an economy as big as Mexican there're lost of other ways to get $92M.
Plus, go figure, the next guy comes in and he'll want to buy a jet. Highly doubt he'll be able to get an already-built presidential 787 or equivalent for under $92M.
Obrador is awful in most every way . . . except this one in which he is 100% correct. He is a demagogue, but at least he's right here.
It is a modern sickness that politicians treat themselves like the royalty of old, and no expense is too great to add to their prestige or comfort. Nobody in the USA would dare consider the wisdom of the $4 Billion dollar cost of the two aircraft...
Obrador is awful in most every way . . . except this one in which he is 100% correct. He is a demagogue, but at least he's right here.
It is a modern sickness that politicians treat themselves like the royalty of old, and no expense is too great to add to their prestige or comfort. Nobody in the USA would dare consider the wisdom of the $4 Billion dollar cost of the two aircraft US citizens have spent to fly the President of the USA around in a flying palace, much less the billions of dollars spent on the current Air Force One.
People will just say absolutely any old rubbish lies in the comments here. He is absolutely not a demagogue, the qualification for this seems to be in the eyes of "West" that he he wants a fairer and and more equal deal for his people.
@vlcnc sure! he knows his target for his manipulative discourse. He's a super ally of the Genocide Maduro regime so definitely couldn't care less about any ppl. Luckily one can fool ppl (specially naive socialists wannabes) but never the higher justice so he's paying a real high for helping keeping the Maduro regime in power thus creating one of the greatest diasporas of mankind. Close to a third of us Venezuelans had to flee from our country.
I do consider the cost of Air Force One. It would be far cheaper to charter a airplane from United, American, or Delta. If it's good for the Pope it should good enough for the President of the US
Maybe if the president of the US didn’t jizz over wanting to bomb just about any country under the sun people wouldn’t hate him so much and he wouldn’t need a fortified 747 to fly round and flying commercial or charter would be good enough.
POTUS (whoever it is ) needs to have equipment on his plane to be able to run the government & command the military. The Pope doesn't. POTUS also has different security concerns than the Pope.