Mexico’s presidential jet, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, has been sold to Tajikistan for $92 million. The plane, which was ordered by former President Felipe Calderón and used by his successor, Enrique Peña Nieto, was described by current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as an “insult to the people”. After years of trying to find a buyer, the jet was finally sold to Tajikistan and took off from Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City. The plane was designed for long-haul flights and was not practical for domestic flights in Mexico. The money from the sale will be used to build two hospitals, one in the state of Guerrero and another in Oaxaca. The plane has been refurbished and now has “Tajikistan” written on the side and a tail painted to look like the Tajik flag. President López Obrador has promised to use commercial airlines when he travels, and the sale of the jet is a step towards fulfilling his campaign promise to do away with excess.
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