Stories by Ime Akpan
Lagos
As the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is currently reviewing all elements of general aviation regulations, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of EAN Aviation Mr. Segun Demuren, has said that non-scheduled operations had expanded rapidly.
Speaking at the second Nigerian Business Aviation Conference held in Lagos recently, Demuren said the growth in Nigeria’s charter aircraft sub-sector had been driven predominantly by the oil and gas industry.
“It has been an extremely busy year for the sector. Nigeria is now Africa’s fastest growing business aviation economy with more new and pre-owned aircraft delivered to Nigeria than South Africa in the last year. The country’s private jet fleet is larger than the commercial aircraft fleet. Growth has been driven predominantly by the oil and gas industry. However, other sectors including finance, manufacturing, telecoms and agriculture are all contributing to a market which is set to grow by 20 per cent this year,” he said.
He highlighted the challenges of the airline sub-sector which he said included the fact that any aircraft that marked 5N (Nigerian) registry would lose asset value by as much as 25 per cent yet incur higher insurance premium up to 35 per cent higher in some cases.
“Maintenance and service support still remains a challenge and while the fleet continues to grow there are no accurate figures for the amount of jets operating in Nigeria. Educated guesses say between 100 and 150, with an anticipated 350 set to be in operation by 2016,” he said.
However underpinning Nigeria’s significance in the business aviation sub-sector, Demuren stated that the operators and key stakeholders in the aviation industry “are committed to Nigeria and are willing to understand how we can do business successfully in Nigeria.”
In its contribution, the chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. NogieMeggison, said limited domestic airlines and train networks “are indications that executive jets provide a solution to much of the logistical challenges in the country.”
“The time saving, the convenience and the increased productivity that follow are proofs that business aviation is not a luxury but an essential tool for growth in Nigeria,” he added.
Meggison also said that the government had supported growth in the aviation industry pointing out that it (government) “has removed import duties on new jets; has signed the Cape Town Convention reassuring lessors about asset security; invested in new infrastructure including a private jet terminal that opened last year in Abuja; and does not impose time restriction on the length of time a foreign registered private jet can stay in Nigerian.
“While these have stimulated growth, improved regulations, comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul offerings, the implementation of structured safety management systems and local participation are all necessary for the ongoing success.”
In his contribution, the acting director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Engineer Benedict Adeyileka presented the federal government’s support for the aviation industry saying the ongoing transformation in the aviation sector “is currently reviewing general aviation in recognition of its contribution to supporting the local economy.”
“NCAA is currently reviewing all elements of general aviation regulations covering a wide range of areas from air ambulance aviation leisure activity to air taxi and corporate charter market. It has taken an inclusive approach by requesting feedback from all aviation stakeholders.
“Automated issuing of permits to local operators is also close to fruition, although when implemented will not initially be accessible to foreign operators. The only way we can develop the most suitable industry regulations is through feedback and we encourage you to submit your thoughts,” said Adeyileka.
The second Nigerian Business Aviation Conference was attended by over 159 delegates. A line up of international and national speakers, panelists and Nigerian government officials debated the Nigerian business aviation landscape.
This year’s event was designed to provide a platform for analysing and reviewing the Nigerian business aviation sub-sector and to stimulate discussions on how to support and sustain its growth.
