At least 12 brand new private jets ordered by Nigerians and some corporate bodies will be delivered to the country this year.
Nigeria is the 2nd fastest Growing Aviation market after China!
This is an offshoot of the projection by private jet manufacturers to deliver 70 brand new private jets to the country within the next five years.
The Regional Vice-President, Sales, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Bombardier
Business Aircraft, the Canada-based aircraft manufacturing firm, Mr. Khadar Mattar, who made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, described the private jet market in Nigeria as currently “booming.”
He spoke on the sidelines of Nigerian Economic Summit organised by London-
based Economist in Lagos on Monday.
Mattar, who said his company delivered 88 out of the 138 aircraft currently flying in Nigeria, noted that Bombardier was currently the market leader in terms of the number of aircraft in Africa.
He said, “In Nigeria, we are looking at another 60 to 70 new business aircraft within the next five years; that is about 10 airplanes a year. There are 138 airplanes in Nigeria at the moment.
“Bombardier is currently leading the market in Nigeria and Africa. Twelve new ones should be delivered this year.”
According to him, the 12 new business aircraft to be delivered to Nigeria this year will be supplied by Bombardier and other private jet manufacturers, which he did not mention.
He also did not give the organisations and people who had ordered for the private jets in the country.
Mattar said, “The business aviation market in Nigeria is booming. It is actually its time. I will expect that it will double in size in the next 10 years. People are flying outside Nigeria now; people are flying within Africa because of their business expansion; people are flying to Europe because of their business expansion and the financials that they require.
“Nigeria as a country has actually changed; we have more laws and regulations. Infrastructure is changing, which is adapting to the new expansion. Because of this, you will see more private jets actually flying in Nigeria.”
Aviation experts and analysts have said that Nigeria is the fastest growing aviation market in the world after China.
A London-based aviation expert and Chief Executive Officer, African Aviation, Mr. Nick Fadugba, said lack of effective air link within Africa had created a major opportunity for the growth of the business aviation market on the continent.
He said most times, people travelled to Europe first on commercial airlines before they could connect some cities in Africa.
But the Bombardier official said Nigeria and other African governments needed to improve on existing aviation infrastructure to ensure more growth for the business aviation or the private jet sector within the continent.
Mattar said, “I am very optimistic about the business aviation market in Africa. People are now taking it seriously. They are looking at investing in fixed-base operations. They are looking at smaller airports to develop within and outside Africa.
“But it takes time. Infrastructure is needed. It is that serious in Africa, which is good for the business aircraft because people need to fly. Imagine I want to fly from Lagos to Namibia; it takes me two days to get there on commercial airlines. I will have to go to South Africa first before going to Namibia, or I have to go to Europe first. But with business aircraft, I can go and come back the same day and do my business.”
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