Yesterday I saw a picture of what might just be the coolest-looking jet ever, and it sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole…
In this post:
Equatorial Guinea has an eye-catching Boeing 777
The government of Equatorial Guinea has a Boeing 777-200LR that it uses for government transport, and it has to be one of the coolest-looking liveries I’ve ever seen. Perhaps not coincidentally, the exterior of the jet makes no mention of the owner or the association with the government.
Let me of course acknowledge that Equatorial Guinea has a… questionable government. The country has become very rich with oil in recent years, though that money isn’t being spent on making the lives of citizens better, but is instead being used to enrich the lives of the leader and those who are close to him. He’s also one of the longest serving leaders of any country, as he has been in power for over 45 years, since 1979.
Presumably joy rides on this Boeing 777 is one of the many ways that the country’s oil money is being spent. What I find so interesting about this plane is how little information there is about it online. For what it’s worth, the plane is a roughly 10-year-old 777-200LR, with the registration code P4-SKN.
I’m curious, does anyone have a sense of what the interior of this jet looks like? It’s not often you’ll find a plane (even if VIP configured) with no pictures of the interior, but it’s possible that I’m missing something.
Unfortunately flight tracking for this jet is blocked, so it’s hard to know exactly what routes this plane has flown in recent times. I suspect there are a fair number of trips to London, Paris, etc. 😉
Ceiba International used to have a 777 with first class
On the topic of Equatorial Guinea and Boeing 777s, I can’t help but be reminded of something I came across in 2017. Ceiba International is an airline based in Equatorial Guinea. Going back nearly a decade, the airline had a 777 in its fleet, with the registration code CS-TQX, which even featured first class.
It was technically operated by Portuguese wet lease company White Airways, to get around European Union restrictions on airlines from Equatorial Guinea.
The plane was reportedly configured with 250 seats, including 22 first class seats, 28 business class seats, and 200 economy seats, though I never actually did see a picture of the first class seats.
I believe the jet was ultimately retired, and hasn’t operated commercial flights in a long time. However, just a couple of weeks ago, the plane flew from Malabo (SSG) to Rome (FCO). So I’m not sure if the plane is being parted out, is being prepared for reentry into service with another carrier, or what.
Bottom line
The government of Equatorial Guinea has a Boeing 777 that possibly has the coolest livery I’ve ever seen. This is a mysterious jet, as I can’t find many details about the interior, though I am mighty curious…
Anyone have more details about this Equatorial Guinea Boeing 777?
“22 FIRST CLASS SEATS”…hilarious.
He obviously needed another plane as the first one was impounded many years ago and sits for all to see at Geneva airport! VERGONHA
It was a pleasure to literally see this up close when we taxied by the aircraft on the way to the runway. Go to 6:58 in the video or check the timestamps.
https://youtu.be/-rkFNDSq5VA?feature=shared
I am here for the comments.....Most of them definitely put a smirk on my face.....Majority of commenters here (presumably from the collective West) would not survive a day, let alone manage to live in truly corrupt countries, yet here you are - complain and bitch and moan. TRUST IS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT REAL CORRUPTION OF THE RULING ELITE IS....YOU HAVE IT MADE "HERE".
For context - lived in the USSR, post-USSR-collapse Ukraine, Tajikistan and Moldova...
Hi Ben, the airline's name is actually CEIBA Intercontinental (not Ceiba International).
Although on FR24 the aircraft shows with no details at all, you can see it on adsb website, with all details
Equatorial Guinea is a miserable place unless you're a member of the ruling elite, and they're vassals of the hillbilly Putin who runs the place. It's certainly no Botswana or Namibia.
Wait. Hasn’t the mayor of Chicago just last week said that POC are the most generous people out there (on top of that, some even believe they invented literally anything we use)? So, the starving people graciously and generously donated the aircraft to their beloved leader.
This is not corruption but state ownership of natural resources, just like done on America, like Alaska. Corruption in America is high taxes and jealous people.
Amateur hour! Here in ‘murica we do our corruption with 747-8s
Yes, our POTUS and crew are probably feeling cheated
Donny was embarrassed that his plane had a smaller, uh, “bulge” than planes owned by gulf leaders. So this flat top 777 would be a nonstarter for him.
I do think Donny would look great flying in that orange Dunkin plane. It would make his complexion look almost normal.
10 points for your ‘tangerine dream’ humour Nate …. :-)
@Nate - well, Donny should at least consider buying this jet from Equatorial Guinea. After all, the registration code is, appropriately enough, "P4-SKN", which sounds like... oh never mind, I'll circumscribe my comment.
I‘m more interested in details of the B747 which Qatar gifted to the totally uncorrupt President of the USA.
The mainstream media had that well covered and has now moved on.
But where are the pictures of the plane‘s interior in that so called mainstream media?
The mainstream media is not particularly known for accurate reporting on aviation...
Registration P4-SKN…foreskin . Can’t fault them for lack of humour!
One is now awaiting the ‘holier than thou’ crowd to blame the government corruption on slavery.
What isn't corrupt in that part of the world?
The overwhelming majority of Africans are a friendly and upstanding people who simply had the misfortune of being born in the poorest economic conditions on the planet. Chinese investment in Africa is aiming to change that.
You cannot possibly be serious Arps!
@ Arps; get informed! I'm not talking about the general people but yes about those on "the top." "Poorest economic conditions"?? That continent is the richest one in minerals, only the money goes to the wrong ones. Why do you think the chineses are there? I lived between 2020 and 2022 on that continent, I know what I'm talking about.
Nelson, you’re embarrassing yourself.
In which country did you live? As you said it’s a continent.
I’ve been commuting for work from the US since 1998, though mostly to East and Southern Africa?
Arps has it correct. How can you even talk about its riches in terms of minerals yet not meaningfully address the disparities that are largely driven by corruption in most of the countries, though with a very few exceptions.
You sound like a typical Westerner.
Unfortunately Leigh, you only sound like your typical white liberal who has dipped a toe into Africa and believes himself knowledgeable.
@ Leigh;
I lived in Cape Verde, which in my opinion is the most European-like country in Africa. But for business I visited almost all countries and I know how dificult it is doing business with them. They love restrictions and complicating anything like Customs and so. After my time there I promised myself never ever going back to that continent or even try to do business with them.
You've really been banging the drum for Dear Leader Xi and the CCP of late, Arps. Are they clients of yours?
Corruption is very much a global issue. For all us the live in the USA and Europe we should not act like it only exits in other places. It is Rampant here to. Just not alway visible to the naked eye although that seems to be changing.
Corruption is very much a global issue. For all us the live in the USA and Europe we should not act like it only exits in other places. It is Rampant here to. Just not alway visible to the naked eye although that seems to be changing.
Sadly, "...money isn’t being spent on making the lives of citizens better, but is instead being used to enrich the lives of the leader and those who are close to him" also applies to the US's current regime.
In the developed countries, corruption is somewhat isolated from common people and also spread over a broader higher echelon of people.
In poorer countries, corruption is prevalent at all levels but the uber curruption is limited to a small % of top people.
If you calculate the % of GDP or % of countries' budgets you can probably come out better in the poorer countries
Corruption in the US and Europe is called lobbying.