Tazeen Akhtar Islamabad
The Punjab government has purchased high quality with the best safety record aircraft, Gulfstream G500 in Rs10 billion for Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif that has ignited criticism on various plateform including social media. The critics are taking it as luxury in a country whose economy depends upon remittances of overseas or heavy taxes and fines on the poor and middle class, cut down the pensions of the employees on their retirement.
Pakistan recently privatised National carrier PIA that is already talk of town for the sale at the lowest price. People see the worth of the deal is Rs 10 Billion only that will go to the government’s exchequour. This creates a scene as ” A full fledged Airline is sold out in an amount and only one plane is bought for one person in the same amount.”
Reports said the aircraft is registered under the number N144S, with an approximate price of Rs10 billion. While the plane has a history of travel in Pakistan, it is not yet registered locally and currently holds US registration. Its annual maintinance expenditures are $30 Million. The cost of the flight is estimated at Rs 1.8 Million per hour.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari stated that the provincial government is in the process of building a fleet for Air Punjab, which will include various types of aircraft. Some will be purchased, while others will be leased. She emphasized that “this acquisition is part of a broader plan, and further details will be shared once the arrangements are finalized”.
Govt of Punjab should have consulted with Friend Turkiye before buying the plane for CM ! It is same type (Falcon 50) that was used by Libyan Army Chief ! Turkiye said ! All 3 Engines Failed within 20 Minutes of Flight from Ankara airport ! It was considered the safest though General Haftar is the top suspect in plane crash of General Alhaddad ! Haftar is also friend of Pakistan now a days !
Here we are analysing G500 with Falcon 50 only because ;
1- Both planes are manufactured for VVVIPs
2- Turkiye crash is the latest fatal accident of such an aircraft
Anyhow , Punjab is big province and hard to govern and looked after from Lahore. Therefore CM needs speedy and safe means of travel to visit to far flunge parts of the province to keep the gov machinery alert that works othersie as per their wish only.
But the poor labourers of Punjab are seeing it from the lense of heavy fines on the bikers and cutting the pensions and insurance of teachers and other employees in Punjab. They criticise that Punjab gov is depriving us from our own saved money but spending billions of rupees only for her own benefit.
So what if few billion rupees are allocated for who have surrendered their own part of salaries to government for their last age relief. People also compare it with only 2 billion Rs for Press and Media from their own long standing dues. They see it as 10 billion for plane and 2 billion for the Press media of whole country.
Safety Record ! G500 and Falcon 50
The Gulfstream G500 (GVII-G500) has a strong safety record with no fatal accidents since entering service in 2018. As a next-generation business jet, it is highly regarded for its advanced Symmetry Flight Deck and active control sidesticks. The aircraft boasts a 99.73% dispatch reliability rate (in conjunction with G550) and has achieved EASA steep approach certification.
Key Safety Features and Record
Safety Record: Since its 2018 debut, the G500 has maintained a clean safety record regarding fatal accidents, with only minor incidents reported.
Technological Safety: The G500 was the first business jet to feature active control sidesticks, which provide tactile feedback to pilots, enhancing situational awareness.
Incidents: A minor incident occurred on January 4, 2025, where a G500’s wing collided with a parked Bombardier Challenger 605 while taxiing. Another incident in April 2023 involved a ,landing issue near Washington-Dulles.
Certification: The FAA certified the G500 in 2018, highlighting its modern, clean-sheet design.
The G500 is considered one of the safest modern private jets, characterized by high-speed, long-range capabilities, and advanced, intuitive flight systems.
Falcon 50
The Dassault Falcon 50 has a generally solid safety record for a business jet with a long operational history (since 1976), though it has been involved in several fatal accidents. Most incidents, including recent ones, are linked to maintenance issues, pilot error, or adverse, complex, or low-visibility landing conditions.
Safety Record Summary: As a widely used, three-engine super-midsize business jet, it is generally considered reliable and has been in service for decades with various civil and military operators.
Key Incidents:
2025 (Ankara): A Falcon 50 crashed near Ankara, Turkey, killing all five occupants, following reported technical issues with the electric system and an uncontrolled descent.
2014 (Moscow): A Falcon 50EX collided with a snowplow during takeoff in low visibility at Vnukovo Airport, resulting in four fatalities, primarily due to pilot and ground crew errors.
2010 (Paris): A Falcon 50 was heavily damaged in a landing incident at Paris-Le Bourget, but no fatalities occurred.
Safety Factors: The aircraft features advanced digital flight controls that enhance safety. However, as with many aging aircraft, rigorous maintenance is crucial to prevent incidents stemming from unresolved, known discrepancies.
The Falcon 50 is generally considered a robust aircraft, with its safety record reflecting typical, low-frequency, high-consequence corporate aviation incidents often associated with human factors and operational procedures.
A senior aviation consultant in Libya, Abu Zeid said on 25 Dec 2025 that the plane of Army Chief has not crashed due to some technical reason.
The advisor refuted the hypotheses of the crash being due to an electrical malfunction or bad weather, explaining that the three-engine Dassault Falcon aircraft is designed to the highest safety standards in civil aviation, as each engine has an independent generator, in addition to an emergency generator and powerful batteries, as well as some models being equipped with an emergency pneumatic generator.
He emphasized that vital systems such as control, navigation, and communication are redundant and do not operate on a single line. In some models, the electronic control system is triple redundant, meaning that the failure of one system does not lead to a disaster.
Risks can not be avoided while you are in travel. One can not remain confined at home or office for risks in the travel. Titanic was also said to be the safest but it was drowned in the very first voyage ! but people did not stop traveling by ships through seas !
But the ethical aspect of buying such a costly conveyance will keep poking the performance of government of Punjab. Ms Bukhari’s rationale that the plane may be merged in new airline of Punjab is not acceptable, neither it will work. The plane having 13 seats only is used nowhere in any airline in the world.
