Imagine if Air Force One could be rented out for parties! Well, that’s what’s about to happen in Mexico… sort of.
In this post:
Basics of Mexico’s unwanted Boeing 787
Years ago 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 this plane still poses an issue — the government has a 787 on its hands that it doesn’t have any need for. For the past several years the government has been trying to sell the jet, but without luck. As you’d expect, this plane is specially outfitted, so you’d basically need someone looking to buy 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 even 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?
You can soon rent the Mexican president’s plane!
On Monday, Lopez Obrador came up with a new idea to cut losses associated with the plane — he wants the government to start renting out the jet for birthday and wedding parties.
The plane will be handed over to a military-run company in charge of Mexico City’s new airport, and will be available if someone “is getting married and is going to take their family and friends.” It’s also suggested that this could be a good option for company and birthday trips.
The goal is simply to cover many of the losses currently associated with the aircraft. After all, letting the plane deteriorate to the point where it’s no longer airworthy would further ruin the prospects of this jet ever being sold. The plane features 80 seats, a bedroom, a private bathroom suite, and more.
Now, this is certainly a unique concept, but:
- How many people have the money to rent out a Boeing 787 for a party?
- Even if you have the money to rent a plane like this, do you really want to do so through a government, rather than through a private party?
This is creative, but I’m skeptical as to whether there will be any meaningful demand for this.
Bottom line
Mexico’s government has a Boeing 787 that it wants to get rid of, as it’s viewed as being wasteful. Unfortunately the government hasn’t had much luck selling the plane. Therefore the latest plan seems to be to rent out the plane for special occasions, all managed by a military-run company. The goal is to cover the maintenance costs of the aircraft.
I can’t imagine this plan will be particularly successful either, but who knows…
What do you make of the Mexican government’s latest plan for the 787?
So gang, how do we book this thing? OMAAT party in Mexico City. Lets do it!
Excuse my ignorance here. While I am an aviation enthusiast, I am not an expert. So my question is simple; is it possible to turn that plane into a cargo hauler? I mean why not strip it and use it for long haul freight? I'm sure Fed Ex or UPS could use it and make a profit. Just sayin!
Been following this for years, silly 2 not use the plane, act Presidential,
Bennett of Israel doing the same thing w their 767 vip
Too bad Obama family never wanted to save US billions going 2 Hawaii, separately...
Hey, if there's an OMAAT party, let me know the tab. If I can afford it, I'm in!
"Fly With Lucky"
Jake/Logan Paul could be interested after they have already rented Jeff Bezos' super-yacht.
Or the Tate Brothers (Andrew Tate 'cobratate' and Tristan Tate 'talisman tate').
Or Dan Bilzerian. Or the Kardashians.
So, is it only for parties on the ground? One article I read is that it could be used for birthday parties for 15 year olds (which is a big deal there). Or are they assuming it will fly during the party? Seems like a huge difference in pricing.
And I'm all for the OMAAT rental idea...
I think it’s more for flying you to your party destination like in Europe or the Caribbean or some place else.
Please Ben. Spare us Mexicans of this, yet another, ridiculous statement. He is a populist who supports Maduro , Evo, Ortega and Canel, even just days ago launched a friendship day Mexico-Russia!
He travels economy for the same populist reasons, while being escorted by army Boeing 737 with his aides. Lately, he has been traveling in an army G-550 or a Challenger 605, also escorted.
You, being an avgeek, tell us how much...
Please Ben. Spare us Mexicans of this, yet another, ridiculous statement. He is a populist who supports Maduro , Evo, Ortega and Canel, even just days ago launched a friendship day Mexico-Russia!
He travels economy for the same populist reasons, while being escorted by army Boeing 737 with his aides. Lately, he has been traveling in an army G-550 or a Challenger 605, also escorted.
You, being an avgeek, tell us how much would an hour trip to nowhere would cost?
And please review the new airport as soon as practical… (although no international airlines agreed to fly there, well just the venezuelan coviasa.)
Mexico needs to lower the price of the plane. At some point, a buyer will say "this plane is cheaper than a used King Air, I'll buy it".
I would imagine this is a scheme for the new president to receive kickbacks from narcos.
Who else is renting this / has the money to do so in Mexico?
There are plenty of very wealthy people in Mexico who aren’t narcos.
OMAAT party?
Great idea! Start a Go-fund-me and we can get it going!
@Lucky, I believe that Mitch is spot on here. Let's price it out. Better do it before TPG does.
Self-serving politicians. Imagine the amount of hassle if you happen to be booked on the same flight as the president of the country. I don't know the security protocols in Mexico but I doubt they are nothing. So hundreds of people probably are majorly inconvenienced so a grandstanding politician can make some hand-waving point. Maybe I am wrong, but I doubt he gave up whatever the presidential mansion is for an average city apartment or townhome.
It took two seconds for me to Google that he, in fact, did give up the presidential mansion and turned it into a museum.
He did give up the presidential mansion to live in -wait for it- the Mexican equivalent of the Versailles Palace. So in a way it’s even worse.
He does live in a much nicer placer, it’s called the national palace and it does look like a palace right in downtown.
I've flown with a former first lady and that was a nuisance with strange boarding timing/procedures, limited ability to get out of your seat, etc. I can only imagine what it's like flying with the current president.
I shared a golf cart ride with the former First Lady of Mexico, Angélica Rivera Hurtado in 2017 while in Mexico. She was gracious and lovely.
Along those lines there is the famous quote about Gandhi, “Do you know how much it costs every day to keep you in poverty?”
Gandhi l chose to travel third class on the train. But with the huge crowds at the stops and the security concerns they had to charter a special train and on and on. His own VIP train would have been cheaper and easier.
He did not move into the presidential mansion in Chapultepec Park.
Give away a 787?
Talk about a white elephant!