By Nabusayi L. Wamboka
September 28, 2003
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So the presidents daughter had the rare opportunity to take the worlds most expensive hike at Shs 180 million (US$ 90,000) for a one way ticket. You only have to worry because you foot the bill for the first daughter Natasha to push the tot without breathing Ugandan air. Natasha decided to come home via British Airways first class booking where she had to part with US $ 2000 (Shs four million) each for the three of them including Janet Museveni and little sister Patience. According to Amos Wekesa an official of Great Lakes Safari's in Kampala, there are no private or chartered flights from Uganda to Europe but there are commercial flights almost everyday depending on the airlines. "A first class return airfare goes for US$3500 for British Airways but prices may vary slightly by about US$100-200 for a return ticket," Wekesa said. The world has very few proud owners of the kind of presidential jets that Uganda has. According to information on their website www.Gulfstream.com, more than 30 countries around the world operate the Gulfstream aircraft. Twenty-three of these to transport their heads of state, including President Yoweri Museveni and his family. Most of the proud owners of the Gulfstream aircraft are also the world's richest personalities. Golfer Greg Norman owns a Gulfstream IV, valued at about US $36 million. Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is said to own a Gulfstream IV while American property developer and hotelier Donald Trump has a Boeing 727 valued at about US $16 million. Richard DeVos, a co-founder of Amway, is believed to own a Boeing 737 valued at around US $40 million. Microsoft's Bill Gates bought a Bombardier Challenger 604 for $28 million. Mickey Schulhof, the former head of Sony Corp of America, owns and flies a Falcon 20-5 ($9 million) and golfing legend Arnold Palmer has a Cessna Citation X ($20 million). Actors John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Kevin Costner all fly their own planes. Melbourne businessman Lloyd Williams of Melbourne's Crown casino has access to the two Gulfstreams his company leases to ferry in high-roller gamblers. BHP has a fleet of jets for use by its executives and Melbourne billionaire Dick Pratt last year spent $35 million on a new Gulfstream IV. Australia's richest man, Kerry Packer, owns a Falcon 200 and an ex-United Airlines DC8, which are housed in a hangar at Sydney Airport. Sydney businessman Jack Ingham has a small jet that he uses to fly to his horse stud, Woodlands, in the nearby Hunter Valley. Fresh from cashing in his Davids shares during its recent takeover, retired supermarket king-turned-horse breeder Jim Fleming has added a new plane to his assets. The general manager of Uganda Tourist Board, James Bahinguza said African countries with the exception of South Africa, have no capacity to provide private jet services to Europe. "No body or country keeps aircrafts like a Gulfstream doing nothing. It is very expensive," Bahinguza said. According to Bahinguza, most millionaires prefer to join pools where they own partial shares but have unlimited access to the craft all year around. Business chiefs wanting to create the impression of owning a corporate jet but without the means or inclination to spend the money, can consider a time-share arrangement. This is popular in the US, where companies can buy a 16th, an eighth or a quarter share of a business jet. Executive Jet Inc, of Montvale, New Jersey, markets time-sharing services under the name NetJets. Among the company's 850 time-share customers are investor Warren Buffett, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Pete Sampras. According to NetJets, a 16th interest entitles the owner to 50 hours of flying time a year. Ten kinds of aircraft are available, ranging from the seven-seat Cessna Citation S/II, with a flight range of 2,500 kilometres, to the Boeing 737-400. At the low end, a 16th share of a seven-seat Cessna Citation V Ultra costs $525,000 a year plus $6,000 a month in management fees (maintenance, insurance, pilots, administrative services and storage) and $1,600 per occupied hour (for items such as catering and fuel reserves). At the high end, a quarter interest in a Gulfstream IV-SP costs $9.3 million a year plus a monthly management fee of $45,500 and an occupied-hour fee of $3,600. Two years ago, Executive Jets started NetJets in Europe. Next year, it intends to start operating in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. |
© 2003 The Monitor Publications
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