2015: More Private Jets Arrive In Nigeria

More private jets are now arriving the country ahead of the 2015 general elections, Sunday Punch learnt on Friday.

The jets, according to aviation sources, are being brought into the country by chartered plane companies in preparation for the passenger capacity surge that is expected to begin as politicians prepare for the elections.

 
A top official of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, who pleaded anonymity, said charter airlines were bringing more business jet into Nigeria. The source said, “I think they are preparing for the surge in passenger traffic that will continue to increase as political activities swell ahead of the elections. I am surprised at the rate the jets are coming in and we still see more operators filing papers for more planes that will come in later in the year.” The official stated that some charter airlines that were doing the business illegally without the required permit had started filing in applications to perfect documentations. 

The source said, “Some indigenous companies which used to have only one plane and were using it for charter business secretly without obtaining necessary approval are acquiring more planes and filing papers, seeking to get an Air Operators Certificate from the NCAA. I think it is good for their business. “Some of them have hired aviation consultants to help them to perfect their documents to get the AOCs. 

While others have completed the process and are now doing demonstration flights.” Majority of the charter plane companies have their base at Lagos airport while others have it in Abuja airport. Former Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, had last year unveiled a law that barred private jet owners from using it for charter without possessing the AOC. The development forced aviation businessmen who had been using their private jets for charter illegally to start applying for the AOCs. It was further gathered that some of them that lacked the ability to acquire more planes were partnering with foreign chartered plane firms to get more planes to enable them to get their AOCs.

 Private jet and charter aircraft companies from Europe and North America, especially the United States and Canada, are also bracing for the boom in the Nigerian charter business market as the elections draw near. 

Politicians had spent N2.52bn on charter flights within 10 weeks preceding the April 2011 elections, according to investigation by SUNDAY PUNCH. Each of the four major indigenous charter jet operators, that conveyed politicians to various parts of the country for electioneering, made about $420,000 (N63m) every week. 

Industry sources said each of the operators worked for about 70 hours a week with the fee for each hour fixed at about $6,000 (N900, 000). As of 2011, the four major indigenous charter jet operators in the country were Kings Airlines, Wings Aviation, Top Brazz Aviation and Overland Airways. However, findings showed that other airlines, including Associated Airlines, engaged in charter services occasionally, while some non-aviation companies, which own private jets, rented them out to their politician-friends for charter services. - Currently, the charter aircraft operators in the country are Hangar8, Kings Airlines, Top Brazz Aviation, Overland Airways, Arik Air, Vistajet and Aero Contractors.

 Each of these operators has acquired more planes, aside new entrants that are currently perfecting their papers to get the AOC. Further findings showed that notable public office holders and businessmen, spent about N29.7bn on charter flights in 2012. The Managing Director of ED Aviation, Mr. Edward Young, however, said about 70 per cent of the charter jet business in the country was still being done with foreign-registered planes. 

Young, who noted that some aspects of the foreign operators’ businesses were questionable, however, said the recent crackdown by the government had reduced this considerably.An industry expert and analyst, Captain Ken Wemambu, also said a lot of foreign companies were coming into the nation’s charter jet sector because “it is very robust.” Economic downturn in Europe and America had led to a sharp decline in the demand for private jets in the regions. Luxury aircraft makers are looking at Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which are now the main markets for the use of private jets.