Ghana's presidential jet, Falcon 900EX EASy 9G-EXE (msn 0241), has remained in maintenance at Paris Le Bourget since March 11, spurring parliamentary debate about its reliability and long-term replacement.
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) reported that the jet's prolonged absence was discussed in parliament recently after Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang had to use a private jet for urgent travel in May.
Responding to questions from parliamentarians, Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah disclosed that the aircraft was undergoing a 24-month/1,600 flight hour inspection and maintenance by Dassault Falcon Service (DSF, Paris Le Bourget). This included the replacement of damaged engine parts and treatment of fuel tank contamination - issues linked to delayed past maintenance.
Initially expected back by March 26, its return was postponed several times due to the unavailability of spare parts. It is now tentatively scheduled to return to Accra on July 31, he assured.
A status report submitted to parliament, seen by The Herald newspaper, revealed multiple critical defects. These include severe corrosion in the left, right, and centre wing fuel tanks; damage to engine No. 2’s air intake plug and turbofan, which required a complete replacement; and intermittent faults in the starter-generator. Several previously deferred defects also demanded manufacturer-level repairs. The report warned that untreated fuel tank contamination could cause engine failure mid-flight.
According to ch-aviation data, the 14.8-year-old jet was delivered to the Ghana Air Force (Accra) on September 30, 2010. It is equipped with Honeywell Aerospace TFE731-60-1C engines.
