- Maintain NAMA processes, procedures for optimal standards, Farouk tells managers at retreat
- Assessing economic, safety concerns of private airstrips
- Ethiopian Airlines takes delivery of Africa’s first A350-1000
- Leveraging travel with sports: Adeboya wins Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup series
- Plaudits for Acting DG NCAA, Najomo for aviation sector reform
VistaJet: Redefining the Landscape of Private Aviation in Nigeria
By Philippe Scalabrini, President – Europe &Afrique, VistaJet
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, two things about the Nigerian private aviation sector have become common knowledge: business aviation requires a revamp, and Nigerians are gradually shifting their perception towards flying private.
While the global aviation industry was one of the worst hits when the pandemic struck in 2020, the Nigerian private aviation sector is still yet to recover from the catastrophe, having lost $1 to $5 billion in the estimate.
Chiedu Albinus, the West African Correspondent for African Aerospace disclosed that as of August 2022, private jets in Nigeria were less than 100 compared to 146 in August 2015.
The current market situation shows that regulatory challenges and lack of innovation have set the sector in a tailspin. The continuing problem with maintenance infrastructure and the cost of maintaining aircraft have grounded many private aviation operators in Nigeria.
Illegal charter operations by several private jet owners are stifling the economic growth of business aviation in the country, as there are also emerging concerns of poor flight services and threats to safety regarding inadequate and inexperienced technical personnel managing the operations of a myriad of business aviation flights.
Despite these lingering problems, business aviation operators in Nigeria have experienced a surge in client patronages since the pandemic, as more Nigerians are now flying privately.
Funmi Fabunmi, the Managing Director of Leading-Edge Aviation Company remarked in 2023 that many Nigerians realised during COVID-19 that flying privately transcends pleasure and class but is a necessity to beat the hassles of delays and uncertainties linked to commercial airlines.
Last year, the percentage of flight delays in Nigerian airports rose to 21.79% – a slight increase from 20.67 in 2022. Abrupt cancellation of flights and safety concerns are other issues associated with commercial airlines in Nigeria.
The inescapable necessity of private jet charter in Nigeria keeps gaining momentum. The country has the third largest private aviation operators in Africa, only behind South Africa and Kenya.
Years ago, flying privately was mostly linked to government officials, top executives and expatriates flying in and out of the country.
Today, a portion of Nigeria’s youth population has joined the growing list of private jet travellers. These are emerging nouveau riche, who consistently travel across Europe, Asia and the Americas to conduct business on an international scale.
With an exponential growth market in the offing, business aviation in Nigeria needs a breath of fresh air. According to the International Air Transport Association air transport market in Nigeria is forecast under the current trends scenario to grow by 174% in the next 20 years.
The Nigerian private aviation sector will be expected to lead the charge towards that direction. VistaJet’s renewed commitment in the West African region, of which Nigeria is one of its target markets, raises expectations in concert with the expected growth potential.
As the global leader in business aviation, the company’s sterling reputation is unrivalled. Private charter flyers in Nigeria will quickly come to discover the gulf in class between a VistaJet and other aircraft managed by private operators.
The brand is a renowned paragon for safety, exclusivity, reliability, efficiency, anonymity and flexibility in the world of private aviation. And its best-in-class Cabin Hosts, trained by the British Butler Institute, MedAire, deliver the highest service standards.
VistaJet’s flexible flight policy allows clients to book their flights at short notice to anywhere in the world. This capability demonstrates the brand’s assurance of trust and efficiency, as clients can request a flight directly through the VistaJet app and the 24/7 sales team, who are always on standby to manage and support seamless bookings on the Vista Members’ fleet of over 300 aircraft.
Leveraging the VistaJet membership program also provides great advantages. The program offers a flight-hour subscription plan tailored around each corporate or individual’s flying requirements, providing access and availability to the entire fleet, anytime and anywhere in the world, at a fixed hourly rate no matter where you are flying from or at what time.
Put simply, a subscribed member in Lagos or Abuja can seamlessly book a flight to New York, Paris or Jakarta in less than 24 hours, and will only pay for the number of hours he flies on a VistaJet.
VistaJet’s renewed commitment to the Nigerian market will offer more in terms of economic growth. Its wide and rich network covers 96% of the world across 207 counties and territories and will give a further boost to the Nigerian economy in terms of propelling foreign direct investments (FDI) and impacting direct and indirect jobs.
There is no doubt that VistaJetinnovative flying solutions will raise the standards of business aviation in Nigeria. Having placed dedicated Challenger 605 in the West African sub-region due to an increase in demand, the aviation brand’s unique offerings, which are unrivalled and the most convenient in the world will redefine the landscape of private aviation in Nigeria.
Google+