Private jet operators are dominating the Nigerian skylines as concerns over aviation safety, airport delays and other issues force corporate executives and high net worth individuals to avoid commercial flights in the country.
The number of registered private jets in Nigeria is now over a 100, compared to just about 40 commercial aircraft that are operational in the country.
The growing taste for the use of private and chartered jets is coming amid a gradual rebound in Africa’s largest economy, and general elections due early next year.
Corporate executives and politicians often seek to bypass dealing with delays in regular commercial airlines, as they crisscross the country doing deals because there are many situations in which time is more valuable than money for them.
Currently there are 36 private jet operators in the country, half of this number is state owned and the other half are owned by individuals and corporate companies, BusinessDay has learnt.
There is also an increasing number of foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria at present.
On the other hand, Nigeria currently has seven commercial airlines operating scheduled flights including: AirPeace, Arik Air, Medview, Dana Air, Azman, Overland and Aero Contractors.
AirPeace has about 14 operational aircraft, Arik operates 10 aircraft, Medview has two aircraft, Dana air has three aircraft, Azman three, Overland five, and Aero Contractors three, making a total of 40 aircraft.
“We are beginning to see more private jets coming in and out of Nigeria. The ease of doing business, stability in government and the coming elections are factors leading to increase in private jet operations in Nigeria,” Tayo Ojuri, an industry expert and Chief Executive Officer, Aglo Limited, an aviation support group told BusinessDay.
“In addition to these factors, there are foreign direct investment in manufacturing and influx of developmental organisations such as United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) the US AIDs amongst others.”
Ojuri explained that commercial airlines have continued to lose traffic as a result of poor customer service and flight cancellations and delays.
African World Airline, a regional airline of Ghanaian origin has recorded 98 percent of on-time departures and they have cleared the traffic between Lagos and Accra, adding that the airline now goes to Liberia, Sierra Leone but Medview has suspended its operations to these routes.
The high number of private and chartered jets operating in the country and innovations introduced in their operations has also forced down prices in that segment of the aviation market, making it possible for more mid-level corporate executives to use their services.
BusinessDay’s checks show that the cost of flying a business jet which shuttles the Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt route, costs about N70,000 (about $200) a seat, while on a commercial airline, it cost between 25,000 to N35,000.
A recent visit by BusinessDay to ExecuJet Africa situated at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, offering maintenance, charter and aircraft management services showed display of various charter and private jets numbering above 50.
Twenty-two private jets reportedly landed in Kano for the wedding ceremony of Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote’s daughter which took place on March 24, 2018.
Harold Okwa, Managing Director of Jetseta, a Nigerian based private jet provider told BusinessDay that the turnover for private jet operations in Nigeria is in billions of naira per annum.
According to Okwa, nowadays flying in a private jet is no longer a luxury but a tool to increase productivity levels and this new understanding of what private aviation brings to the table has allowed the market to boom and therefore generate the capacity to meet this increase in demand.
“This rise caught the eyes of the government in the past, which years ago removed import duties on new jets, has opted to not specify a time restriction for foreign aircraft in Nigeria and has invested in the soon-to-be-opened terminal in Abuja (although this is currently facing some delays).
He explained that this has seen local companies like Jetseta rise to the occasion and service the local demand through a mobile app that seamlessly connects travellers to private aviation providers at attractive fares worldwide, on the go.
He added that major customers of private jets range from CEOs, diplomats, sports personalities, entertainment celebrities, political figures, NGO aid workers amongst others.
Most of these customers have one thing in common; they are “time poor”.
In most cases they need to get to remote parts of the country/continent, and would not readily be able to do this in their schedules with commercial air flight options.
Apart from companies and organisations like Jetseta, both corporate and religious leaders are known to have private jets in the country. Some of the people that have been reported to own their own private jets include; David Oyedepo, founder of Faith Tabernacle, Aliko Dangote, Nigerian business magnate, investor, and owner of the Dangote Group; Mike Adenuga, Nigerian billionaire businessman.
Folorunsho Alakija, Nigerian businesswoman and Ayo Oritsejafor, presiding pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, amongst others.
A source close to the Nigerian civil aviation authority (NCAA) told BusinessDay that some of the owners of these private jets do not register them in their names, and most of those who do, use them for commercial purposes, but this is against the regulations of the NCAA.
IFEOMA OKEKE
