While
Javier Milei
travels abroad in first class on commercial lines, the presidential air fleet waits on the ground, generating an approximate maintenance cost of US$ 2 million per year per plane.
In contrast to the indecision about what to do with it,
whether or not to sell, for example, the Boeing 757-56 that replaced the Tango 01
, the appointment of the new authorities of the area: this week Commodore
Fabián Barbieri
took over as head of a
Directorate that It was absorbed by Casa Militar.
A few weeks ago a decree was published that reorganized the General Secretariat, headed by
Karina Milei,
with which it was decided to transfer the General Directorate of Logistics (DGL) to the body in charge of the security of the President and his family.
Last Monday,
Barbieri received
Colonel Alejandro Guglielmi, who leads Casa Militar,
at the Aeroparque Military Air Station .
But the most striking fact about this reorganization of the area is that the official who until last week worked in the DGL,
Florencia Gastaldi,
would become "advisor on aviation issues" to Karina Milei, in Casa Rosada.
Although she has had a permanent staff in the ANAC (National Civil Aviation Administration) for years, she had been in charge of the official fleet in the last stage of
Alberto Fernández's administration.
Last December, meanwhile, Gastaldi was the target of a judicial complaint for alleged non-compliance with the duties of a public official for the call for bids for a general inspection of the ARG-01, valued at more than US$ 2 million, which was in charge by judge Ariel Lijo.
The author of the complaint was the
lawyer Pablo Nocetti,
the former official of Patricia Bullrich who was accused by the relatives of Santiago Maldonado of being involved in the events that culminated in the death of the young man, in 2017.
Nocetti remains linked to the current minister. of Security and also to the head of the AFI, Silvestri Sívori
.
There is an underground tension between the PRO cadres assimilated by the current administration and the pure libertarians.
But also as a result of the reorganization of the DGL,
some criticism of "The Boss" began to be heard, which arouses fear and mistrust alike
among Government House officials.
"He does not have people and incorporates those who convince him with what he tells him
," they explain in the ruling party.
The President's influential sister seeks to imprint gestures of
"austerity" throughout the administration
.
That is the reason she gives for not using the former Tangos fleet.
The problem, according to consulted sources from the aeronautical sector, is that each aircraft has an onerous maintenance cost;
some calculations estimate it at more than US$ 2 million per unit.
The most emblematic case is that of the
ARG-01
, acquired by the previous management last year for almost US$25 million.
Next March there is a date for the aforementioned comprehensive check-up and the Executive has not yet decided which bidder it will choose for the service.
If it were to remain unused for too long it would lose value.
A few days ago, in fact, the aircraft was used for a trip to Mendoza to meet flight hour requirements.
"If it's for Javier, sell all the planes," they repeat around the President
.
But if the eventual operation were delayed for too long and the units remained unused, the State would end up losing resources.
In the case of the flagship aircraft of the official fleet, it is recommended that the eventual sale be as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Ceremonial of the Presidency acquires through the
Opt
system the tickets on commercial lines for the transfer of the head of State and his entourage.
Although there are few ministers who accompany him, he is joined by custodians, a doctor and other collaborators.
"It is cheaper than operating an official plane. The problem is the cost that the disuse of the planes could generate for the State. They lose value and their maintenance would cost more," concluded a consulted source.