“Nobody Dan, next time you're in Paris, go to Airbus and buy a presidential plane. We're making fun of ourselves”
Nicusor Dan, the president of Romania, talks to journalists at Paris 'Le Bourget' Airport, on January 7, 2026. PHOTO: Agerpres
“The story about the presidential plane has been going on for more than 10 years. It's time to have a presidential plane”, writes Dragoș Damian, CEO of Terapia Cluj and the executive director of the Patronatul Producătorilor Industriali de Medicamenti din Romania, in an opinion article hosted by HotNews. He has an explicit exhortation for the president Nicușor Dan, arguing that at this rate “we are making a fool of ourselves”.
- Dragoș Damian's opinion comes in the context in which the Spartan military aircraft, which took the president to Paris, was stuck due to unfavorable weather conditions. Nicusor Dan returned to the country with a delay of 24 hours.
- The head of state announced that he would take steps to purchase a presidential aircraft “at the right time”, but that “now is not the time”.
“We've been making fun of this topic for years”
I know as much about aviation as an aircraft specialist knows the difference between an ibuprofen made in Germany and one made in Romania. So I cannot understand why an American fighter plane, designed to operate in the harshest conditions, is stuck on the ground by an atmospheric front.
But that's not what it's about.
The registered office of Airbus is at Mendelweg 30, 2333 CS Leiden, near The Hague in the Netherlands, about 500 km from Paris, about 5 hours by car.
Airbus' operational headquarters is on Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31703 Blagnac, near Toulouse, France, about 700 km from Paris, about 7 hours by car.
So, the next time you go to Paris, Nicușor Dan, please do what your predecessor should have done a long time ago, knock on the door of Airbus – I'm not sure which of the two doors, I think Blagnac – and order an Airbus to operate as the presidential plane.
We've been tossing around this subject for years, to get or not to get a presidential plane? Let's get it!
Two years ago, when my neighbor from Sibiu was on an official visit to Brazil, I asked him to go to the Embraer headquarters in Sao Paolo and order a plane from there.
The story of the presidential plane has been brewing for more than 10 years. It is time to have a presidential plane; when not used by the Presidency it can be used by someone else or for something else.
“Romania must have a presidential plane”
Now, if I say that Romania manufactured Antonov planes, I will be classified as pro-Russian and it will be said that the Antonov planes were stupid.
If I say that Romania manufactured Rombac planes, I will be labeled pro-British and it will be said that Rombac planes were stupid.
And if I'm going to say that I took down factories, factories and combines, including civil and military aviation, they're going to say that I'm a communist / nostalgic Ceausist old man.
What was was. Nicușor Dan, go to Airbus and order a presidential plane, we'll see how we pay for it, but Romania must have a presidential plane, we're being laughed at.
