Ghana’s presidential aircraft has officially returned to Accra after undergoing extensive mandatory maintenance and repairs in France for eight months. The development was confirmed by Bright Simons, Vice-President of IMANI Africa, who shared the update on X (formerly Twitter).
According to Simons, the jet was handed back to the Ghana Air Force on Monday, November 10, marking the completion of a prolonged technical inspection at the Dassault Falcon Service (DFS) Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Paris-Le Bourget. The aircraft had been sent to the facility to undergo its scheduled 24-month and 1,600-hour inspection, a compulsory requirement for its continued airworthiness.
While undergoing the routine checks, engineers discovered significant defects that extended the repair timeline. “Severe faults affecting the fuel tank and one of the turbofan engines were found during the inspection,” Simons noted, adding that the repairs required direct support from the manufacturer and could only be carried out at the specialised Dassault facility.
He explained that the delay was compounded by challenges in sourcing specific OEM-certified parts, which slowed the pace of the work. Despite these setbacks, he confirmed that all necessary repairs, tests, and validation procedures—including leak tests, engine ground runs, and acceptance flights—have now been successfully completed.
Before its final return to Ghana, the aircraft undertook a short positioning flight from Marseille to wrap up minor logistical procedures.
The jet’s arrival ends months of public speculation about its whereabouts and operational status, as officials had previously provided limited public updates. Its return restores full VVIP air transport capability for the state after what experts describe as a rigorous and technically demanding maintenance process.
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Source:Africa Publicity
