Owners Of Royal Jet VIP Plane William Ruto Hired For US State Visit

• President William Ruto travelled to the United States of America (USA) for a four-day state visit on Monday, May 12
• The head of state boarded a private jet, the Boeing 737-700 plane, capable of flying 10 to 12 hours non-stop
• Ruto is said to have paid the owners of the jet, based in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, an estimated cost of KSh 200m hiring fee

TUKO.co.ke journalist Wycliffe Musalia brings over five years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

President William Ruto is on a four-day state visit to the United States of America (USA).

Ruto and his entourage travelled to the US on Monday, May 20, aboard a Boeing 737-700 business jet.

What is the cost of hiring a Royal Jet VIP plane?

The head of state is said to have paid close to KSh 200 million to lease the jet.

The cost was estimated from the flying range of 10 to 12 hours nonstop, meaning the cost of the 18-hour flight from Nairobi to Atlanta totalled KSh 98 million.

KTN News reported that the Abu Dhabi-based airline offers charter services for KSh 2.4 million per hour.

Who owns the Royal Jet Dubai plane Ruto hired?

The Al Nahyan family owns and operates the Royal Business Jet in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

According to Royal Jet Group, the airline leads the global premium private aviation sector and is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan.

The firm operates twelve Boeing Business Jets and three Bombardier Global 5000/6000 aircraft.

It offers aircraft management, aircraft charter, aircraft leasing, medical evacuation flights, aircraft brokerage, flight support services, FBO services, aircraft maintenance, repair, CAMO services, aircraft acquisition and disposal services, and VIP aviation consulting.

What's the net worth of the Royal Jet owner?

The chairman of Royal Jet, Sheikh Mohammed, is estimated to be worth $10 billion (KSh 1.3 trillion).

Sheikh Tahnoon is the brother of Sheikh Khalifa, who served as the Emir of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates.

The Al Nahyan family's net worth is estimated to be over $305 billion (KSh 40.5 trillion), beating the world's richest persons on the Bloomberg Index.

Who paid for Ruto's Royal Jet trip to the US?

The government defended the cost used to hire the private VIP aircraft, after an uproar from Kenyans.

Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the outcome of the visit will be far-reaching economically compared to the KSh 200 million spent.

Ruto's visit aimed at attracting significant investment to Kenya, with plans for his entourage to pitch over 30 business ideas to potential investors.

“The benefits from this visit far outweigh such a million times. Just to be clear, the United States of America did not pay for President Ruto’s jet to the US,” said Mwaura.

The US government denied sponsoring his flight to the States amid uproar from Kenyans who cited betrayal.

What to know about Royal Jet Ruto hired

• The Boeing 737-700 is one of the newest additions to the Royal Jet fleet, having been delivered fresh from the factory in 2017.
• Firstpost TV highlighted Ruto's hired jet opulence and questioned the necessity of a 30-person delegation, including a comedian, funded by taxpayer money.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke