The presidential airliner is a welcome relief for Air Mad

To put an end to the rather pointed comments regarding the presidential airliner, the leadership has taken the bull by the horns.
It mobilized the president’s spokesperson, the Finance and Budget Minister, as well as the media to clarify the issue.
More than a clarification session, it was a persuasion performance aimed at demonstrating that this impromptu purchase was indeed quite sound.
Meanwhile they carefully deflected the attention away from the former talks between Boeing and Airbus.

This aircraft was purchased on behalf of the government using funds from the Public Investment Program (PIP), on one hand, and funds advanced by the Banque Centrale, on the other.
The financial sponsors are fully aware of this transaction.
The American-made Boeing 737-300 can serve for at least thirty years, and the passenger cabin has been reconfigured to accommodate 101 seats (no doubt to allow for a presidential suite, a conference room, or to increase first class seating).
At a mere $11 million, it is a real godsend, a “very good deal”, indeed, so we were told.

Judging from the presentation, this presidential Boeing 737 is only the first aircraft of a state-owned fleet which will be progressively completed as acquisition deals come up.
The Finance and Budget Minister went to painstaking lengths to expound over the comparative advantages of such a purchase, particularly the fact that the transaction was made in cash, as opposed to credit, in which case the aircraft could have costed some $15 million.
He also pointed out the enormous difference between what it would cost to use Air Madagascar’s jets, vs. the newly acquired airliner.
Not to mention the inconvenience suffered by Air Madagascar’s clients, and the ensuing negative reactions directed at the new regime.
More than a luxury, the aircraft, and its acquisition were presented as a high yield, and most economical business venture.
This investment is so profitable that within 3 years, at 30 flight hours per month, the aircraft would have paid for itself.

More appropriate aircraft in the future

Given that one of the reasons Air Madagascar found itself in so much trouble is the former leaders’ abuse of free transportation, both for passengers, and merchandise, it is not hard to figure out the savings that such a purchase could generate.
The National Airline Company’s bad debts, and other unrecovered losses are estimated to range between $25 and $30 million.

Nonetheless, two things are certain.
On one hand, the presidential Boeing 737 will, from now on, keep the National Airline Company form getting into debt, given that the current Transportation Minister has done away with the free tickets, altogether; and since a fleet of state-owned small aircrafts, and helicopters, more suitable for short hops, is a foregone conclusion, we can safely expect a heated competition between rival manufacturers from South Africa, Austria, France, Germany, and other countries.
On the other hand, the leadership will have to undergo an attitude adjustment with regards to the use of this presidential aircraft; it will be run just like a private sector enterprise.
Such is the opinion of a young manager who dared to speak against the reprehensible behavior of ministers, and other officials during their trips outside the capital city.

This presidential airliner will take her maiden voyage during the president’s trip to the vanilla producing region of the Northeast, known as SAVA (Sambava, Antalaha, Vohemar, Andapa).
This region has greatly suffered during the political crisis, and it continues to be the victim of economically and politically driven acts of banditry.
Rebel militiamen, still at large,
continue to steal processed vanilla, and whole vanilla plants.
And, according to the reporter from the National Radio Station, who will be along, during this mission, fuel shortage is still a problem.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana