The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said that nearly 240 private jets are currently operating in Nigeria, making the country the largest business aviation market on the African continent.
Naijaonpoint reports that Keyamo disclosed this during a strategic engagement with officials of Bombardier Incorporated in Montreal, Canada, where the Federal Government opened discussions on the establishment of a major aircraft maintenance and service centre in Nigeria.
The minister led some of Nigeria’s major private jet operators and senior aviation officials to the Canadian aerospace company, which designs, manufactures and services luxury business aircraft, including the Global and Challenger jet families.
According to Keyamo, the proposed service centre would provide technical and maintenance support for Bombardier aircraft operating in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
He said the country was losing substantial foreign exchange every week because private aircraft owners had to fly their jets abroad for routine maintenance and other technical services.
“Our discussions covered a broad range of issues, especially the prospect of the company establishing a major service centre in Nigeria,” the minister said.
“This will provide the much-needed support for their aircraft within the country and the African continent as a whole.
“Nigeria officially has the highest number of private jets in Africa, with nearly 240 presently operating within the country, and so much foreign currency is repatriated weekly from the country for the maintenance of these aircraft.”
The number of private jets operating in Nigeria has increased significantly in recent years despite the country’s economic challenges and the rising cost of aircraft ownership and maintenance.
Reports revealed that Nigeria had about 100 private jets in 2021, indicating that the fleet has more than doubled within five years.
However, industry estimates suggest that close to 70 per cent of the aircraft are registered in foreign countries.
Some operators reportedly prefer foreign registration to avoid certain local duties, levies and regulatory charges, while concerns have also been raised over the use of privately registered aircraft for unauthorised commercial charter services.
The development prompted Keyamo to establish a ministerial task force to investigate illegal air charter operations in the country.
The task force subsequently identified some high-net-worth individuals and operators of foreign-registered aircraft as major participants in the alleged illegal charter business.
The Nigeria Customs Service has also been involved in disputes with some private jet operators over the payment of import duties and other statutory levies on aircraft brought into the country.
Industry stakeholders have argued that the preference for foreign registration is partly driven by the desire of some aircraft owners to bypass local charges and reduce operating costs.
Speaking during the visit, Keyamo said the establishment of a Bombardier service centre in Nigeria would reduce the cost of maintaining aircraft abroad and help the country conserve scarce foreign exchange.
He added that the facility would create skilled employment opportunities for Nigerians, support aviation training and position the country as a regional centre for business aircraft services.
The proposed centre is also expected to offer maintenance, engineering and aftermarket support to Bombardier aircraft owners across Africa, reducing the need to fly aircraft to Europe, North America or other overseas destinations for servicing.
A statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, said the visit to Bombardier completed Nigeria’s strategic engagements with the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers.
According to the statement, the Federal Government had previously held similar discussions with Boeing, Airbus and Embraer as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s aviation sector and improve access to aircraft acquisition, maintenance and technical support.
Keyamo was accompanied on the visit by the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Chris Najomo; the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku; and Nigeria’s Representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Mahmoud Sani Ben-Tukur.
Other senior government officials, private jet operators and aviation industry stakeholders were also part of the delegation.
During a tour of Bombardier’s Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre, the Nigerian delegation received briefings on the company’s aircraft manufacturing and completion processes.
The delegation was also taken through Bombardier’s maintenance support systems, pilot and technical training programmes, aftermarket services, digital aviation technologies and aircraft acquisition solutions.
