Between 2006 and 2018 , the federal government spent USD $675,750,402 in the purchase of several airplanes for the Mexican Air Forces ( FAM ), including the presidential plane , a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner , with a USD $127,348,857 price tag; a CASA C295 M worth USD $30,332,400, and a C27J Spartan Alenia for USD $40 million.
The presidential plane was purchased by Felipe Calderón 's administration. This plane was meant to transport the Mexican President, in this case, former President Enrique Peña Nieto.
The other airplanes were used for military operations , as well as for the tactical transport of troops .
In contrast with the two previous administrations, the current administration, led by Andrés Manuel López Obrador , decided not to purchase airplanes or helicopters , in tune with its austerity policy.
Moreover, President López Obrador o rdered a review of the airplanes catalog and the sale of those that aren't necessary. Besides the members of the security cabinet, no other officials are allowed to use official planes and their trips are carried out through commercial flights or by car.
2006-2012
During Calderón
's administration, the Mexican government purchased an executive jet , the Challenger 605 , for USD $26,889,000 and a King Air 350i for USD $8,086,000. The administration also purchased 5 Cougar EC725 helicopters for USD $27,500,000 each.
The Calderón administration then purchased another 11 airplanes, 5 planes, and 6 helicopters yet these numbers increased by 90% when Enrique Peña Nieto took office.
2012-2018
When Enrique Peña Nieto took office, the armed forces purchased 16 airplanes and 5 helicopters.
During the Peña Nieto administration , the purchases include a Black Hawk UH-60M helicopter for USD $14,188,000.
However, the largest number of purchases was registered in 2014 , when 9 airplanes were purchased: a Challenger 605 , a King Air 350R , a King Air 350i , a T-6C+ , a CASA C 295W , a GRUOB G150 , and three Gulfstream 150 , 450, and 550.
On December 1, 2018 , when President López Obrador took office, he ordered the sale of the presidential plane , the TP01 , José María Morelos y Pavón . He also ordered to identify all the airplanes and helicopters used to transport high-ranking officials and that wasn't used to fulfill its official task or benefited society. Moreover, authorities also looked into what airplanes generated high maintenance and operation costs.
Since then, the Mexican government has auctioned airplanes and helicopters that were used by former officials for personal uses.
At least 72 airplanes are one sale, including a helicopter that was used as a “taxi” by the former National Water Commission (Conagua ) chief, David Korenfeld . This was documented by EL UNIVERSAL in March 2015, when it revealed that Korenfeld Federman used the airplane to travel between his home in Huixquilucan , in the state of Mexico and the Conagua offices in Mexico City .
Another airplane on sale, which was also used for personal purposes , is the Cessna Citation Sovereign 2009, which was purchased by Pemex in 2014, to monitor the pipeline network; nevertheless, it was later revealed that the f ormer Pemex chief , Emilio Lozoya Austin , who is currently wanted by Mexican authorities and the Interpol , used the airplane to fly to Cancún , Zihuatanejo , Acapulco and Huatulco for personal purposes, as well as U.S. cities such as Houston , Los Angeles , New Jersey , and San Antonio .
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