Private jet charter businesses in Nigeria that has been on the low due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has made owners especially charter operators groan under the heavy burden of costs will experience relief due to the coming general election that will boost their operation.
LEADERSHIP investigation had shown that the pandemic period has been the most challenging for private charter operators in Nigeria as the sector suffered revenue loss, decline in flight requests and fixed overhead running.
A charter flight is an unscheduled flight that is not part of a regular scheduled routing. With a charter flight you rent the entire aircraft and can determine where you want to go and according to your itinerary.
According to www.flywestlink.com, a private charter jet operator in Nigeria said a flights on private jets are charged on an hourly rate with prices depending on the size of the jet, length of the flight.
The airline said in Nigeria, most private jet charter companies charge as much as $4,500 – $6,000 for one hour. So, a $4,500 private hire will amount to approximately N1.78 Million.
In Port Harcourt, most private jet charter companies charge as much as $4,500 – $6,000 for one hour and it takes about 40mins to 1 hour to travel between most Nigerian states.
“Except for the very top politicians, business moguls and few mega pastors, the private jet business is almost dead in the country,” an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) holder had said about private charter operation during the pandemic period.
During the pandemic, more expensive general aviation segment, which shelters private jet operators, appears to feel the pinch the most.
However, with 2023 general election coming on stream and preparations of election into states and national offices are on top gear, the political class have stared making use of the Aviation sub-sector again as they have started travelling across the country and around the world for consultation with relevant stakeholders on their ambition.
This is because private fliers design their schedules and fly directly to their destinations. Thus, for politicians, flying in a private jet is no longer seen as a luxury but a tool to increase productivity levels, enhance cost efficiency and avoid commercial airports and their typical delays such as flight cancellations and limited destinations.
They believe private charter has fewer passengers, unscheduled and usually private as it’s been hired by an individual. Aviation stakeholders on their own argued that that since normal scheduled flights may not fit into their itineraries, Nigerian politicians now resort to private jet charter to move across the country as it enables them to fulfil strict schedules and often complete multiple meetings in different cities and countries.
They stated that election seasons are boom seasons for charter operators due to lot of request from politicians who get involved in high profile movement.
Speaking on the development, Charter airline operator, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, said election period is season of boom for charter service providers saying political activities has started already in the country.
According to him, private charter business is actually on higher demand today, as the upper class are beginning to value time, synergies and coming together.
Mshelia, who is also the Chairman of West Link airline told LEADERSHIP that private jet operators can also migrate their business to other African countries during their election saying charter operators move based on request.
He said, “It is the most convenient way for people in business or political activities that cannot meet up with scheduled airline activities. They use private jets to meet their own timing and there have been boom during this season and the activities have started now.
“We can also migrate our operations if there is election in Ghana, we follow request to Ghana, election in Nigeria election, a lot of request and so on and so forth so, election period generally there are high demand because of high profile movement are made, that is what it is.
“Private charter business is actually on higher demand today, people are beginning to value time, synergies and come together so, in West Africa for example, we have a problem with schedule operation that will serve us properly and we have the problem for a while now since the demise of Air Afric, Ghana Air and Nigeria Airways. Things are not easy anymore and private jet is taking over due to airlines schedules.
“In Nigeria, we can see the evolution and the mentality of our people wanting to belong to a class and so on. People fly just for the class of it, fun of it and also for the business of it so, on a general sense, private jet operation has increased and it will continue to increase covid-19 or not,” he said.
Capt. Mshelia, however, query whether the government will get the required revenue due to activities of some private aircraft owners in Nigeria carrying out commercial activities in contravention of their NCAA certificates.
“The only problem is whether the government are getting the taxes required from it? are they getting the 5 percent required from it? The answer is no. There are three categories of licencing that we have in Nigeria which are permit for non- commercial, Air operating permit and then Air Transport Licence.
“Permit for non-commercial means an individual or a group of company can go and buy an aircraft and to operate the aircraft, you need to go through some kind of security clearance because of the security nature. In all of this categories, the person have to go to National Security Adviser for clearance and then the permit for non-commercial means you operate it for yourself and your family, you can’t hire it out, anyone paying shouldn’t enter that aircraft and anyone who flies in it should be free even if you are flying the whole world but, when there is evidence you collected money, its wrong and illegal and a criminal offence.
“But, you find out that most jet flying in Nigeria today, the NCAA said it and have also said it that if given opportunity by government to catch those who have permit for non commercial flight and are carrying passengers for hire and rewards, I know them all because they take my clients from me expecially for some of us who are legitimate operators,” Capt. Mshelia pointed out.
Also speaking, the managing director, Skyjet Aviation Service Limited, Shirish Raval said the charter business has started experiencing boom.
He acknowledged that the boom was due to the election eventhough, he said politicians are bringing in personal private jets into the country.
Raval who couldn’t predict the percentage of the boom stated that despite politicians bringing in aircraft into the country, charter business still booming.
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His words, “Many more aeroplanes are coming into the country for charter business and not only that, a lot of politicians are bringing in aeroplanes. So, to our question on whether there will be boom In charter business at this time, whether there will be boom in charter business am sure there will be but there is a lot of aeroplanes now and flying will go up for sure.”
“For sure, there are some who will still have to rely on charter to move across the country. What percentage should we expect will be difficult for me to predict data but, it has already started, people are already moving across the country,” Raval told LEADERSHIP.
Another aviation expert, Capt. Waredi Eniosuoh said since politicians will definitelyctravel round the country for campaign, therefore, private charter will be the major source of conveying them around the country and air transport still remain the fastest means of transportation.
“Aeroplane has been the fastest means of transportation especially at this period in time. There is going to really be an increase in private charter business and we don’t have a choice because politicians will have to go round for campaign and the aeroplanes will be the major source of conveying VIPs and politicians all over the country so, boom in private charter business is unavoidable.
“There is also no doubt that the airport will take a lot of pressure during the election eventhough its seasonal and not a continuous thing but as you know the aviation industry is very active because priority is always on safety and thank God we have a minister who is an ex-pilot, the MD of FAAN, NAMA AND NCAA as well am, however, confident that they will all do the right thing,” Enisuoh an aircraft pilot told LEADERSHIP in an exclusive chat.
Read the original article on Leadership.
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