The modified McDonnel Douglas DC-9-87 jet, also
known as an MD-87, cost US$9.5 million in 2012 and at least another US$4.1
million was spent on refurbishments before the King took delivery.
In 2012, the King’s company Inchatsavane signed an
aircraft management operating agreement with Greek-based Gain Jet Aviation. As
part of the deal the King was required to deposit US$500,000, described as
‘average two months operating costs’, as a guarantee against unpaid invoices. On this
basis the operating costs of the aircraft would be US$250,000 per month or US$3
million per year. In the three years since the jet has been flying, the
operating costs would have reached US$9 million.
The figure set by Gain Jet Aviation was only an
estimate. Another estimate of costs of operating an MD-87 is available from Conklin and de Decker, Aviation
Information.
It has set the total fixed cost of the MD-87 at US$1,124,525
for a year. This works out at US$93,710 per month.
Fixed costs are the costs that have to be paid even
if the plane never flies. Among the fixed costs it lists are salaries for the pilot,
the co-pilot and the flight attendant.
Conklin and de Decker set the variable costs at US$9,736.20
per hour.
Variable costs include fuel, maintenance, landing
charges at airports, staff expenses and catering.
The US$250,000 per month or US$9,736.20 per hour
anticipated for operating costs might be underestimates for the true cost of
flying King Mswati’s jet.
Gain Jet Aviation invoiced the Swaziland Ministry of
Foreign Affairs US$312,500 for a flight in June 2012 from Tokyo (Japan), to
Manzini (Swaziland). The flight was spread over two days and included fuel
stops in Danang (Vietnam), Male (Maldives), and Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania). The
total flying time for the journey was 20 hours 50 minutes.
The company billed for a total of US$312,500, which
works out at about US$14,880 per hour.
In August 2014, Gain Jet Aviation invoiced for a trip that was going to take place the following month over 14 days from Swaziland – Tanzania – Maldives – Malaysia – India – Egypt – Nice (France) – Cameroon – Swaziland. The total estimated number of flying hours was 39 hours 35 minutes.
The invoice total was for US$593,750.00, which works out at about US$14,843 per hour.
In August 2014, Gain Jet Aviation invoiced for a trip that was going to take place the following month over 14 days from Swaziland – Tanzania – Maldives – Malaysia – India – Egypt – Nice (France) – Cameroon – Swaziland. The total estimated number of flying hours was 39 hours 35 minutes.
The invoice total was for US$593,750.00, which works out at about US$14,843 per hour.
It would be impossible to get figures for the true full
cost of operating King Mswati’s private jet. The King rules Swaziland as
sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarch. Political parties are banned from
taking part in elections and he picks the Prime Minister, the Government and
the kingdom’s judges.
People who question his authority or advocate for
multi-party democracy are jailed
under the Suppression of Terrorism Act and / or the Sedition and Subversive
Activities Act.
The US$9 million estimated to have been spent on the
King’s jet since 2012 is about E90 million in the Kingdom’s local
currency. As a comparison, in the
national budget announced in February 2015, E52 million was set aside to expand
free primary school education.
The King’s jet is at present held by a court in
Canada as part of a business
dispute relating to alleged unpaid debts amounting to US$3.5 million for
the 2012 refurbishment.
See also
SWAZI
MPs CONFUSED OVER KING’S JET
REVEALED:
DETAILS OF KING’S NEW JET
KING'S
COMPANY AT CENTRE OF JET ROW
SWAZI
KING ‘REFUSED TO PAY JET DEBT’
SWAZI
KING’S JET HELD FOR UNPAID DEBTS
‘SWAZI
KING TO BUY US$44m PRIVATE JET’
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