How jet sales work

The Tide in Nigeria may not have a lot of experience writing about big-time jet sales, but this story http://www.thetidenews.com/article.aspx?qrDate=02/23/2006&qrTitle=Aviation%20:%20FG%20woos%20Boeing%20to%20Nigeria&qrColumn=BUSINESS pretty much spells out the key ingredients involved in selling planes to state-owned airlines: The nation will buy Boeing planes, but it wants something in return.

Key Quote: “The Minister of Aviation, Prof. Babalola Borishade … said: ‘There is the need to tap the company’s enormous resources and strengthen the relationship between the company and Nigeria through investment in the aviation sector.’ … He said that the investment would assist the country to ensure safety and security in aircraft leasing and acquisition … According to him, ‘Boeing should explore the possibility of putting in place a leasing plan to enable airline operators acquire new planes to replace older ones.’”

So, based on this, I’d guess that later this year, the government of Nigeria will announce a plan to acquire a bunch of 737s, and maybe some Dreamliners, that will be financed through a jet-leasing company. Boeing will quietly sink a few million into a new jet maintenance facility, and will set up a pilot-training program.

Then again, it might be a humane act to cut the Nigerians a serious deal, given the serious problems with the country’s airlines. http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=387&sid=601510

Key Quote: “Aviation Minister Babalola Borishade told airline and government officials at the Abuja meeting that flight facilities in Nigeria have long been in decay. … Serbia’s state-owned JAT, which in 2002 sold the DC-9 that crashed Saturday to Sosoliso, reported Monday that the aircraft was built in 1973 and did not meet European standards when it was sold because of loud noise from its two engines.”