Poland has rejected the two shortlisted bidders for a VIP aircraft tender, citing procedural errors and cost issues with their offers.
In both cases, the contractors – Boeing and Czech Republic-based Glomex – had offered 737-derived BBJ2 aircraft for Warsaw’s “medium” VIP requirement.
In addition to the legal and procedural errors, the defence ministry says the value of the bids – in Boeing’s case, Zl3.4 billion ($ 856 million) – was too high.
“Offers were rejected due to formal and legal errors and their value. Warsaw has allocated Zl1.7 billion for acquiring new aircraft,” says Bartosz Kownacki, deputy minister of national defence.
As a result, on 10 March the defence ministry launched a new acquisition process, with the intention of purchasing the aircraft direct from Boeing.
The defence ministry has notified Europe’s public procurement authorities of its reasons for the single-source acquisition.
However, it faces a domestic legal challenge from three parties seeking to participate in the process: Aerospace International Group of Slovakia; Jet Business International Corporation from the UK; and Swiss firm Altenrhein Aviation.
