By Damilare Adeleye
President Bola Tinubu is set to embark on an indefinite trip to France on Monday, August 19.
While duration of the trip was not disclosed, the President would return to the Nigeria after his brief work stay in France.
A statement signed by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, made this known on Sunday.
The President is expected to travel on the newly acquired luxury Airbus A330 aircraft, which landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 8.29 pm on Sunday.
It was learnt that the aircraft touched down at Abuja airport on Sunday evening, after departing from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France at 4:16 pm.
This followed the release of the aircraft, which was one of the three presidential jets recently confiscated by a French court in favour of a Chinese firm over a dispute with Ogun State Government.
Recall that on Friday, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited had announced the release of one of the three presidential aircraft belonging to Nigeria, which had been detained in France.
The Chinese company characterized the release of the aircraft as a goodwill gesture, citing the upcoming meeting between President Tinubu and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The company stated that it recognized the significance of the aircraft for the diplomatic engagement and took steps to ensure its availability, thereby facilitating the meeting.
The aircraft in question is an ACJ330-200, VP-CAC (msn 1053), registered as 5N-FGA.It features a bedroom with an en-suite bathroom at the front, followed by an office and a conference and dining room. It also has an airline-style first-class and economy seating at the rear.