They say that upon returning from the trip to Bariloche on April 19, in which Javier Milei gave a speech before a business forum, his sister Karina and spokesperson Manuel Adorni They toured the ARG 01, the same one that Alberto Fernández had purchased in 2023 for about US$25 million, and were “delighted” by the comforts of the presidential plane that they had initially dismissed. But good things, you know, cost money: The President’s transfer to Los Angeles would have been more expensive than renting a private flight to cover the same journey, according to sources in the aeronautical market consulted.
If the only truth is reality, the official discourse of “austerity” is gradually being left behind. The argument that is used at this time is the security of the president, the same one that forced the Sikorsky presidential helicopter to travel to the Patagonian city to make a 7-minute transfer from the local airport to the hotel where the president spoke, at an expense of at least US$ 50 thousand. The problem is that Casa Militar had been recommending extreme prevention measures since the beginning of the loquacious economist’s mandate. Something changed.
Those who have known the Milei brothers for years say that they always liked comforts. The President himself lived for almost three months on the 21st floor of a 5-star hotel in downtown Buenos Aires until arriving at the Olivos Residence. It was logical that the room and bathroom of the Boeing 757 were very pleasant for the president’s sister.
The point is that after warnings from the Ministry of Security, the General Secretariat of the Presidency decided scrap commercial flights for international transfers of the first president who, that is to say, have averaged one per month since he sat in Rivadavia’s chair.
This Sunday the president and a small delegation arrived at the Los Angeles airport, after a stopover in Lima, in the replacement of the Tango 01. On Monday at 4pm he will speak at the global investors conference organized by the Milken Institute and later he will meet with billionaire Elon Musk. At nightfall he will begin his return to Argentina: his arrival at the military sector of the Metropolitan Airport is scheduled for Tuesday at noon.
According to sources in the aeronautical market, the official journey would cost 550 thousand dollars. considering the expenditure on fuel, “handler” -services at airports-, parking, stopovers and “per diem” of the General Secretariat staff. This is a more expensive service than the one required by renting a Gulfstream GV private plane, which would cost about US$180,000.and would be in a position to transport the small entourage that accompanies the President.
The ARG-01 has the capacity to transport 39 passengers and along with Milei traveled her sister Karina, Nicolás Posse, Luis “Toto” Caputo and ceremonial, custodial and Presidential Medical Unit personnel.
The truth is that the organization of the current journey occurs at a time when The Government seems to have shelved the idea of ”selling” the fleet of Tangos or eventually transfer its maintenance and management to the Air Force, as it had initially reported.
Everything indicates that it will remain under the supervision of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, which has been strengthening its structure in recent months. Although formally it is under the umbrella of Casa Militar, operationally it is the General Directorate of Logistics. There it covers Florence Gastaldian advisor to Karina who comes from the management of A. Fernández, who last Tuesday was denounced in court for supposedly “renting” to two private charters the South sector of the metropolitan Aeroparque that is intended for the parking of the fleet units presidential area.
