RM3 million for parking charges and RM500,000 to service the aircraft.
Updated: Quoting a source, a Malaysian daily had said Malaysia would have to pay RM3 million in parking charges to bring the jet home. Responding to this, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) which operates Seletar Airport replied in an email to Bernama that no charges are owed as the aircraft is parked at a private company’s hanger.
Malaysia will have to fork out at least RM3.5 million to bring the Global 5000 private jet that belongs to Jho Low back to Malaysia.
The luxury private jet, which was impounded by the Singapore authorities since February last year, is now parked at the Singapore Seletar airport.
Citing a source, The Star reported that before the plane is allowed to be flown to Malaysia, parking charges which over the last 18 months have escalated to about RM3 million have to be paid.
“The Malaysian government would also have to fork out another RM500,000 to service the aircraft, which has been grounded and left under the sun at the airport apron,” the source was quoted as saying.
It was reported that the aircraft which has been grounded since February last year is undergoing service maintenance work to ensure its airworthiness before it is allowed to leave the tarmac and be flown to Malaysia.
Reportedly, the maintenance work is almost completed.
The plane is likely to be taken to Subang Airport, a facility mainly used by private planes.
The Bombardier Global 5000 built in 2008 costs about US$35.4 million (RM145 million). The aircraft was bought at the end of 2009, less than three months after US$700 million was moved away from 1MDB.
The plane is registered to a company called Wynton Aviation and placed as a trust with Wells Fargo Bank Northwest.
Registered in the British Virgin Isles in 2009, Wynton Aviation is a holding company owned by Low.
It was learned that prior to the plane being seized, the jet was based at Teterboro Airport New Jersey, close to Jho Low’s New York home.
Airliners.net website showed the plane had flown to Paris, Geneva, Beijing and London, among other countries, between 2009 and 2017.
Earlier reports:
Aig 15, Singapore: No Request from Malaysia to Return Jho Low Jet
Aug 14, Jho Low’s Jet Needs to be Serviced Before It will be Brought Back
Aug 12, After Superyacht, Government Now Eyeing Jho Low’s Private Jet