PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki is planning to buy a new luxury jet for around R300-million, Beeld newspaper reports. An Airbus spokesman told the newspaper that the company received a request earlier this year from the Department of Defence to provide detailed information on a business jet called the A319. Other competitive providers received similar requests, the report said. According to the newspaper, Mbeki wanted a bigger plane with more space in the meeting section, a bedroom and a satellite connection. The jet can carry up to 50 passengers — many more than the Falcon – and can travel non-stop to any destination in Europe, Asia and the United States.