The Minister of Defence, Dr. Omane Boamah, has revealed that a new date has been given for the return of the Presidential Jet to Ghana following ongoing repair works.
However, he noted that he is reluctant to disclose the date provided by the Air Force, as previous timelines have repeatedly failed to materialize.
Answering questions during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday July 21, he said “
For some time now whenever the aircraft goes for overhaul the date that it is scheduled to return to Ghana keeps extending, it has been extended for two months before, two and half months before, and in this case, as we speak the aircraft is still not in.
“We were given a date, but I don’t want to put that date out because I have been given too many dates. Air Force, you have given me too many dates which did not materialise. So, I don’t want to put the date out. But we are hoping that this date that has been given, we will see the Falcon here in Ghana. However, it doesn’t take away the fact that the presidential jet is sick.”
Ghana’s official presidential aircraft, the Falcon 900EX EASy with registration number 9G-EXE, had been grounded in France since March 11, 2025, undergoing major inspection and repairs due to multiple critical defects, including severe corrosion in its fuel tanks and engine components.
This revelation came in response to a parliamentary inquiry after Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang returned to Ghana aboard a private jet in May 2025.
During a recent parliamentary session, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, questioned whether the presidential jet was unavailable, restricted, or reassigned at the time of the Vice President’s private return.
In response, Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah confirmed the jet’s unavailability, citing extensive maintenance work at Dassault Falcon Service (DFS) in Le Bourget, France.
Multiple Safety and Airworthiness Issues Identified
A document obtained by 3news.com which is a detailed status report submitted to Parliament, reveals that the Falcon 900EX was undergoing its mandatory 24-Month/1600 Flight Hour inspection. During this process, technicians discovered:
Severe corrosion in the aircraft’s left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) feeder tanks, as well as the centre wing tanks.
Corrosion and damage on Engine No. 2’s air intake plug receptacle and turbofan, which had to be completely replaced.
Intermittent tripping of the starter-generator on Engine No. 2.
A series of deferred defects accumulated over previous operations that required manufacturer-level repair.
The report also noted that the fuel tank contamination, if left untreated, can potentially cause engine failure during flight posing a serious safety risk.
Originally expected to return by March 26, 2025, the aircraft’s delivery has now been postponed multiple times.
As of July 11, 2025, exactly four months since it was flown out, the jet remains grounded in France according to the report. This year’s delay surpasses previous ones, highlighting what the Defence Ministry describes as a “worrying pattern of delays showing an aging presidential jet”, on the floor of Parliament.
For context:
2020–2021 saw no delays
2022–2023: delayed by 2.5 months
2024: delayed by 2 months
2025: already 4 months and counting
