The Macedonian government's Bombardier Learjet 60 Special Edition (SE) business jet arrived in the republic on 16 April , 75 days after formal handover of the mid-size business jet to Macedonian officials at Bombardier's Wichita, Kansas facility. The protracted delivery of the aircraft, registration Z3-MKD, was due to a delay in the training of the Macedonian pilots and engineers, says a source.
The seven-seat Learjet 60SE cost Macedonia $11 million and will be used exclusively for VIP passenger transport. The government has been without a dedicated government transport aircraft since February last year when its Beechcraft King Air 200 crashed near Mostar, southern Bosnia Hertzegovina, killing Macedonian president Boris Trajkovski and eight passengers and crew.