The presidential aircraft of Ghana has been grounded for four months at the Dassault Falcon Service Center in Le Bourget, France, because of what have been called severe wear and tear problems.
Fuel tank contamination, issues with the turbofan engine, and other critical parts are among the existing conditions of the Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy jet, which engineers claim put it at risk of engine failure while in flight.
According to government sources, the severe corrosion was discovered when the plane was taken to the Dassault Falcon Service facility for the required 24-month inspection.
Awaiting Dassault Aviation’s response, additional repair on the feeder tanks is one of the flight’s unfinished maintenance tasks.
According to high-ranking government officials, the jet’s maintenance problems were more widespread than first believed.
In fact, there have been reports of corrosion in the air intake plug receptacle of the second engine, and the starter-generator is tripping intermittently, necessitating the replacement of the turbofan.
Additional work being done on the presidential jet includes painting the hangar, with an emphasis on sections like the wings and engine parts that had corrosion treatment.
Originally scheduled for handover to Ghanaian officials on March 26, the aircraft was sent for routine repair on March 11 of this year.
However, because of the amount of work needed on the jet, the delivery date has now been moved to the end of July 2025.
The complicated corrosion treatment process and finding a replacement turbofan have been blamed for the prolonged maintenance period.
The current state of the Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy jet has been attributed by Defense Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah to years of negligence by the previous administration, which included failing to perform the required manufacturer-level inspections and maintenance.
He did, however, reassure the populace that the government was looking into safe and affordable ways to deal with the problem.
The president and other top government officials use the presidential jet as their official means of air travel, and there is a lot of doubt surrounding its condition, especially with regard to its dependability and safety.
Emmanuel Kotin, a security specialist, has called the jet a “flying coffin” because of the safety issues.
The aging presidential jet, which has become acclimated to the new trend of prolonged treatment regimens throughout the maintenance period in recent years, is the subject of the most recent development.
The aircraft had no delays at the foreign maintenance facility in 2020 or 2021, but in 2022 and 2023, the maintenance period was prolonged by two and a half months.
It overstayed at the repair facility for two months in 2024.
The aircraft has been grounded for precisely four months as of July 11, 2025.
President John Dramani Mahama was overthrown at the beginning of his second term by his brother, businessman Ibrahim Mahama, who promised the President and the state unrestricted use of his private jet. According to officials, this was done at no expense to the state.
The government attempted to buy a larger and newer plane for the presidency in 2021, but the plan was halted by popular opposition brought on by allegations of expensive private jet travel by the then-President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Although it was purchased in 2009, the Falcon 900 EX Presidential Jet did not arrive in the nation until September 2010.
The aircraft took the place of a 37-year-old Fokker 27 that was deemed unfit for flight and was dubbed the “flying coffin.”
Source: newsthemegh.com