Mr López Obrador said boarding the presidential jet would be "embarrassing" Mexico’s President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador still plans to sell the presidential jet after spending three hours grounded on a commercial plane.
Mr López Obrador vowed to press ahead with his plans despite being stuck on the tarmac because of heavy rain.
"I won’t get on the presidential plane," he said from his seat on the commercial aircraft on Wednesday.
The left-wing leader, who won the presidential election by a landslide in July, will be sworn in in December.
Mexico’s de luxe presidential jet, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner costing $218.7m (£166m), was delivered two years ago after being ordered by former President Felipe Calderón in 2012.
It was said at the time to be the most modern and efficient plane used by any world leader , according to Mashable. What do Mexicans think?
Mr López Obrador, who has pledged to run an austere government, was one of hundreds of passengers unable to fly from the southern state of Oaxaca to the capital, Mexico City. The president-elect vowed to continue using commercial flights Footage from on board the flight and acquired by Reuters news agency shows the president-elect explaining that he would be "embarrassed" to board "a luxurious plane in a country where there is so much poverty".
AdChoicesADVERTISING AdChoices"I’m not going to change my mind because of this," he said, adding: "Enough with this tomfoolery, it’s over, it’s over, any politician who acts arrogantly won’t last." López Obrador vows profound change Mexico’s President-elect and Trump discuss ‘development deal’ News of the incident was met with criticism among some residents of Mexico City."I think that if the plane has already been purchased then he should just use it," said Alejandro Aguilar, adding that it was "not normal" for presidents to be grounded. […]
Read the full story: Mexico’s president-elect grounded on commercial plane for hours