Africa’s Private Jet Charter Market: An Inside View

The African private jet charter market is growing. Its expansion is due to new industries needing to connect destinations more quickly and/or reach remote locations. Consequently, new markets are showing up on the radar, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ghana, among others.

The widespread presence of natural resources paired with the economic growth of leading economies such as South Africa and Nigeria all help contribute to the rise of private jet charter in Africa, says Paul Ludick, Sales Director for Africa at ACASS.

“With the increase of natural gas and oil production, smaller regions such as Namibia, Angola and Mozambique have been becoming more active with increased interest in business-related flight demands,” he adds.

Marc Yves, Sales Director for Africa at Jet Luxe, stresses the importance of understanding that while the African continent has been growing exponentially in its Business Aviation use, it still doesn’t show the same consistency in flying patterns as the mature markets of Europe or the United States.

“For example,” he illustrates, “the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) might surge thanks to mining or business needs, [but] demand may [then] quickly shift to South Africa or Nigeria. This unpredictability is driven by specific projects or events rather than consistent long-term demand.”

For Nigeria-based Vivajets, 80% of private charter demand has been for large corporate and government-centric flights. According to Erika Achum, CEO of Vivajets, the Nigerian market is massive. “The demand between the city triangle of Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt has remained quite resilient in the last 10 years. The Lagos – Abuja traffic has continued to increase year on year.”

Yet business purposes are only one of the demand drivers. Leisure travel is in the ascendency on the continent, too. Indeed, for South Africa-based Maverick Air Charters, approximately 90% of its passengers travel for leisure, while the remaining 10% are business-related trips. 

“This strong preference for leisure travel can be largely attributed to our targeted marketing strategy, which focuses on attracting leisure travelers from the USA, Europe, and the Middle East,” Lourens Human, Operations Manager at Maverick Air Charters explains.

In contrast to business customers, leisure travelers tend to be more dispersed, with destinations often including remote and picturesque locations throughout the country, Lourens adds. “This distribution underscores the varied nature of our passenger base, and the diverse travel needs we cater to.”

Private Jet Charter in Africa: Top Routes & Industries Served

Led by the commodities industries, Africa’s unique geography can only be served on some occasions by Business Aviation. Mining projects and oil and gas fields are usually in remote places, and personnel and cargo transport are done more efficiently through private charters.

In terms of movements, Human shares that the majority of Maverick Air Charters' corporate and business travel originates from the Johannesburg-Pretoria metroplex. This major economic hub houses a significant portion of South Africa’s corporate entities.

“This region is central to business activities and arguably sees the highest concentration of corporate travel,” he highlights.

Similarly, Ludick says that Lagos to Abuja in Nigeria and Lanseria to Cape Town in South Africa are among the main routes on the continent. “In both these countries, secondary traffic between smaller cities is also well served. Lagos to Accra has also seen an increase of late,” he reveals.

Yet private jet charters serve several primary industries across Africa, and are not just tied to natural resources. Government and diplomatic personnel use private aviation for secure and discreet travel to important meetings and international events.

And Yves shares that executives and bankers rely on private jets for quick and confidential access to high-level meetings and multiple locations in the finance sector. 

“The energy and mining industries depend on our charters to transport key personnel to remote sites like oil fields and mines,” while healthcare with medevac and transportation of patients to specialized care outside Africa swiftly and efficiently is also a significant requirement.

As mentioned, leisure travel also plays an important role, with popular destinations catering to various interests, from wildlife and natural wonders to tropical escapes, according to Human.

For instance, for Maverick Air Charters, Johannesburg to Cape Town is a perennial favorite, connecting South Africa’s bustling economic hub with its vibrant cultural and tourist hotspot. Johannesburg to Kruger National Park is another one, offering easy access to one of Africa’s premier safari destinations, renowned for its rich wildlife and diverse ecosystems.

In the international realm, Johannesburg to Victoria Falls is popular among those seeking the awe-inspiring beauty and adventure via the Zambezi River, while Johannesburg to Maun, serves as a gateway to the Okavango Delta, and Johannesburg to Vilanculos, a charming coastal town in Mozambique known for its stunning beaches and access to the Bazaruto Archipelago, lead the preferences.

Top Aircraft in Africa’s Private Charter Market

Naturally, different aircraft types are needed depending on the industry and type of travel needs of the charter customer. While turboprops are king across the continent of Africa, larger private jets are also slowly finding a role among local users – although, as Ludick says, they are not mutually exclusive but serve a specific mission profile.

“Notoriously, longer range jets such as the Bombardier Global Express, Dassault Falcon series, Bombardier Challenger series and Gulfstream jets have been well used for transcontinental flying, allowing clients to reach time critical meetings, while turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air have well-served regions or landing strips that business jets cannot serve,” he says.

Mainly focused on the oil and gas, government, banking (and recently the entertainment) industries – particularly in West Africa – Achum has seen how jets are chartered to move passengers locally and internationally.

“The Hawker HS-125 is still the market leader in West Africa, followed by the Embraer Legacy 600 and Bombardier Challenger series,” he adds.

Business Aviation is truly diverse in its capability to adapt to operational needs and depending on the purpose of the flight (and more specifically the location) there’s an aircraft for each mission.

For instance, Yves says, in Northern Africa, private jets like the Legacy 600/650 and Gulfstream GIV are popular, catering to business travelers with high standards for luxury and range.

“In West and Southern Africa, the Bombardier Challenger and Global series dominate, along with the Dassault Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X aircraft,” he adds. “For shorter flights, the Beechcraft King Air 200 and Beechcraft 1900 turboprops are widely used.”

Some of the other most popular turboprop aircraft for charter operations are the Cessna Caravan, the Pilatus PC-12, and the Beechcraft King Air 200.

The Cessna Caravan stands out for its reliability and robustness, Human highlights. “Renowned for its ability to handle challenging conditions, it excels in operations into remote and unpaved runways, making it an ideal choice for reaching Africa’s more isolated wilderness areas.”

The Beechcraft King Air 200 and the Pilatus PC-12 offer exceptional versatility, catering to a broad range of needs. These aircraft are well-suited for operations into unpaved runways, commonly found at safari destinations across Africa.

“Their enhanced cruising speeds and extended range also make them highly effective for business and corporate travel, facilitating longer flights between major cities,” highlights Human.

Africa’s Aircraft Charter Industry: Room for Improvement?

Every developing economy has challenges to overcome to reach its full potential. In the case of Business Aviation in Africa, common variables are a need for proper infrastructure and overall efficiency from a financial and bureaucratic standpoint. But there’s more to it than that.

For Yves, improvement begins with making it easier for operators to set up private charter services in Africa. 

By offering investment incentives and creating special zones for jet registration and maintenance, he believes the industry could encourage more players to enter the region.

“We also need to simplify the permit process. If we can make the process of operating aircraft simpler, it will help cut through the red tape and make expansion smoother,” he adds.

Human highlights that one of the most significant challenges currently stems from the dollar-based nature of aircraft ownership and operations – with the US dollar heavily influencing the cost of aviation fuel, aircraft parts, and aircraft.

“Consequently, fluctuations in exchange rates across Southern Africa can significantly impact the cost of operating aircraft. This, in turn, affects the pricing of charter flights offered to clients,” he highlights.

Ludick reckons it would be great to see private or corporate aircraft owners make their aircraft more readily available to the charter market to stimulate the demand for time-critical point-to-point flying. Companies allowing aircraft to be chartered out also brings a respectable ROI to their business [helping] them subsidize their own corporate travel expenses, he adds.

Achum meanwhile concludes that the collapsing of African borders, overflight and landing permissions are heavy limiters to private travel consumption.

“How can we explain that it would take me 10 minutes to book a slot to land at Stanstead Airport in London, but it would take me 72 hours to facilitate a landing permit in Liberia or Ivory Coast?” he asks.

“This has continued to remain a setback to freedom of movement within Africa.”

More information from:

ACASS: https://acass.com
Jet Luxe: https://jetluxe.com
Vivajets: www.viva-jets.com
Maverick Air Charters: www.maverickair.co.za