ID :
206941
Wed, 09/14/2011 - 03:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/206941
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to try to purchase presidential jet by 2016: official
SEOUL (Yonhap) - South Korea will try to purchase a presidential jet by 2016, renewing a plan once scrapped due to high costs, a government official said Wednesday.
The official said the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) recently concluded that it was necessary to acquire a presidential plane.
"We've begun working on securing budget to purchase the new jet," the official said.
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae last year signed a five-year lease with Korean Air on a Boeing 747-400 jet to be used for overseas trips by South Korean presidents. Before that, Cheong Wa Dae had alternated between chartered planes from Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the nation's two flagship carriers, for the president's overseas travels.
Last year, Boeing and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) entered the bidding for the South Korean Air Force One. But EADS later withdrew from the race, and Boeing's asking price, which was not disclosed at the time, was deemed too high for South Korea, which had been looking to spend about 500 billion won (US$463.6 million).
The official explained the acquisition process may take up to four years. Earlier, the government had planned to buy the presidential aircraft by 2014.
In March this year, the presidential jet was forced to make an unprecedented emergency landing while heading for the United Arab Emirates, and the Air Force later concluded the incident was caused by an improperly installed bolt in the jet's air distribution system.
The official said the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) recently concluded that it was necessary to acquire a presidential plane.
"We've begun working on securing budget to purchase the new jet," the official said.
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae last year signed a five-year lease with Korean Air on a Boeing 747-400 jet to be used for overseas trips by South Korean presidents. Before that, Cheong Wa Dae had alternated between chartered planes from Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the nation's two flagship carriers, for the president's overseas travels.
Last year, Boeing and the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) entered the bidding for the South Korean Air Force One. But EADS later withdrew from the race, and Boeing's asking price, which was not disclosed at the time, was deemed too high for South Korea, which had been looking to spend about 500 billion won (US$463.6 million).
The official explained the acquisition process may take up to four years. Earlier, the government had planned to buy the presidential aircraft by 2014.
In March this year, the presidential jet was forced to make an unprecedented emergency landing while heading for the United Arab Emirates, and the Air Force later concluded the incident was caused by an improperly installed bolt in the jet's air distribution system.
