Johannesburg - German Chancellor Angela Merkel carries the weight of the future of Europe – and perhaps the world – on her shoulders as she flies to other countries, trying to contain the euro zone debt crisis.
But President Jacob Zuma will nose ahead of her in the global presidential jet stakes if the government closes a deal to buy a Boeing 777-200 for his travel.
The Boeing 777-200 is 63.7 metres in length, edging out Merkel’s Airbus A340-313X by 100 significant centimetres.
The 777-200 will put the SA president up in the first flight of jets that carry the world’s kings, queens, presidents and prime ministers on official business abroad.
A rough glance at this imaginary fleet makes it clear that size really does matter to the world’s nations and leaders, roughly reflecting their importance in the world, or, at least self-importance.
US President Barack Obama, China’s President Hu Jintao and India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are all out there in front, with 70 metres of aircraft each, all flying Boeing 747s or customised variations.
The US’s Air Force One is the industry standard, with its sophisticated logistical and security facilities, including a mini “White House” for the president, with an office from which he can address the nation while flying, and comfortable sleeping quarters and a medical clinic.
When India upgraded its prime minister’s intercontinental transport in 2003 from a standard 747 hired from national carrier Air India to the dedicated 747-400, it was very much inspired by Air Force One, according to media commentators in India.
They say Air India One now also has jamming devices, chaff dispensers, a medical room, secure communication facilities, in-flight refuelling capabilities, and electronic warfare devices.
Indian officials suggest journalistic licence has been taken here and that Singh uses an Air India 747-400 hired from the airline and configured for his purposes, with meeting and sleeping quarters.
Hu’s travel arrangements differ in that his 747s remain permanently with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force fleet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is just a nose behind the three 747s with his Ilyushin Il-96-300PU, which is 68 metres in length, has a range of 15 000km, and was reportedly fitted out in Britain at a cost of about £10 million (R131m), with gold taps and silk curtains.
As befits the German chancellor’s position as unofficial leader of Europe, Merkel’s Airbus A340-313X, with its range of 13 500km, is the largest official jet in the EU.
France’s newly elected Socialist President Francois Hollande, challenging Merkel’s austerity measures, is not far behind with the specially converted Airbus A330-223 – which is 58.8 metres in length and has a 15 400km range – he inherited from his predecessor.
It is quite an old machine, bought from a commercial airline, though shortly after he was elected Hollande flew a much smaller Dassault Falcon 7X to Berlin to meet Merkel.
The big planes flown by Hu, Singh and Medvedev suggest that the challenge from the major emerging economies – now grouped as Brics, the Brazil, Russia, India, China and now South Africa forum – to the Western powers for global dominance is also largely reflected in the air.
Brazil, however, is rather an exception to this rule. President Dilma Rousseff travels in an Airbus A-319-CJ, the corporate jet version of the A-319 commercial passenger aircraft.
At 33.8m it falls well short of the other Brics aircraft, though it is much the same size as the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) that Zuma now flies. That BBJ puts Zuma also in the same league as Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who fly in dedicated BBJs operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan also flies a BBJ.
But SA government officials had made it clear some time ago that they regarded the BBJ as inadequate to meet the purposes of SA’s growing international diplomatic commitments. A new aircraft has been planned for some time.
And if the deal for the Boeing 777-200 goes through, Zuma will be flying up there in front with the rest of the Brics – not far behind Russia and in fact quite well ahead of Brazil, despite its much larger economy. And well ahead of that upstart Jonathan, who’s been getting a little too competitive recently, opposing our candidate to be the next African Union chairperson.
That Boeing 777-200 should put him firmly in his place, well back in the fleet.
Foreign Editor