Ksh9.3 Billion Luxury Jet That Ruto Hired For US State Visit [PHOTOS]
He is set to arrive at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport at about 5:30 p.m. in Georgia, where he is set to kickstart his visit officially.
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President William Ruto on Sunday left the country for a historic State Visit to the United States accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and a delegation of close to 30 members.
He is set to arrive at the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport at about 5:30 p.m. in Georgia, where he is set to kickstart his visit officially.
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport, and the only facility of its kind serving about 100 million passengers annually. This is because it mainly serves as a connecting hub because it's located within two hours of major cities in the U.S.
However, what caught the eye of many is the Kenyan Head of State's decision not to use the Harambee One presidential jet that he has been using for State visits. This is after National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah remarked that there was a need to upgrade the presidential jet that was acquired close to 30 years ago.
President William Ruto departs for the US on May 19, 2024. /DPPS
The spotlight is thus on the luxurious aircraft that will transport him and his delegation across the Atlantic Ocean. Viral Tea has established that the aircraft he was assigned to for the trip is a Boeing 737-700 Business Jet (BBJ) operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) company RoyalJet.
RoyalJet Profile
The RoyalJet LLC is an Abu Dhabi-owned and operated group of companies which leads the global premium private aviation sector and is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan.
With its headquarters in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, RoyalJet operates from its Fixed Based Operations (FBO) / VIP Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport and the company and its employees hold multiple certifications and licenses issued by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, Guernsey Director of Civil Aviation, and Republic of San Marino Civil Aviation Authority.
The Group, through its Abu Dhabi and San Marino entities, owns and/or operates twelve Boeing Business Jets and three Bombardier Global 5000/6000 aircraft, offering aircraft management, aircraft charter, aircraft leasing, medical evacuation flights, aircraft brokerage, flight support services, FBO services, aircraft maintenance, repair and CAMO services, aircraft acquisition and disposal services and VIP aviation consulting.
A6 RJU Features
Among RoyalJet's fleet, President Ruto was assigned the A6 RJU aircraft, one of the newest in the fleet which joined directly from the factory in 2017.
Per RoyalJet's official website, it offers a forward stateroom with an ensuite VIP lavatory, forward and aft galleys, a mid-cabin club/conference area, aft business class, and standard class seating.
A bed inside RoyalJet's Boeing BBJ business jet. /ROYALJET
The contemporary design of this aircraft features carbon fibre and premium materials throughout the cabin, along with a unique cool mood lighting system with over a million colour variations, which is controlled by the customer-operated iPad-based cabin management system.
The A6 RJU aircraft also boasts a state-of-the-art video-on-demand IFE System, enhanced by RoyalJet's high-quality sound system with overhead speakers and subwoofers, which can be controlled by the RoyalJet-provided iPads or via the customer’s own device, in Ruto's device in this case.
"To maximize the value of this system for our guests, the aircraft has also been equipped with the highest speed communications system (Ka-Band WiFi) available globally. This system allows passengers to stream high-definition video content throughout the flight, including via their own personal account with providers such as Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video," the company explains in part.
A low cabin altitude modification and High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration are also featured, which optimize health and comfort, leaving passengers more relaxed and fresher upon reaching their destination.
The cabin configuration offers 34 seats via the mid-cabin club eight arrangement, the eight mid/aft business class seats and the 18 aft standard class seats. For overnight or at any time of the flight, this aircraft features a queen-sized bed and 16 lie-flat seats.
Seating area of RoyalJet's Boeing BBJ business jet. /ROYALJET
Cost Of BBJ
The first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) was designed in 1996 as a partnership project between Boeing and General Electric (GE). They wanted to build a larger business jet to compete with other business jets in the industry.
The first BBJ was based on the 737-700 and was first flown in 1998. At the time, the unfurnished 19-seat model cost Ksh4.4 billion ($33.8 million) and furnished between Ksh5.3 billion and Ksh5.9 billion ($40 and $45 million).
Aviation website Simple Flying quotes the new price of the current BBJ at Ksh9.3 billion ($71 million).
