Amidst economic pressure in many African countries, the continent is experiencing a significant boom in private aviation with a reported 15% increase in private jet flights in the past one year. According to key experts, including Felipe Reisch of AV Buyer, players in this boom mostly come from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, which are currently leading the market. Long regarded as a luxury, only accessible to the top elite, private aviation in fast becoming a tool for facilitating business connectivity in Africa. One of the companies positioning itself at the fulcrum of this development is Nigeria's Vivajets.
Vivajets, a brand under the Falcon Aero group, provides premier aviation services with a focus on innovation and inclusivity. Through its platforms, Charterxe and FlyPJX, the company is making private aviation more accessible while maintaining its commitment to luxury and excellence. In December 2024, Vivajets sponsored the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) in Casablanca, Morrocco.
Right from the onset, Vivajets set out to fulfill two missions that have set it apart in the aviation industry. Firstly, it wants to deploy business aviation as a tool for solving business connectivity problems within and with Africa. Secondly, it wants to democratize access to private aviation and make the service more inclusive and accessible to more people whilst retaining its top-notch customer service and luxury experience.
To appreciate the business connectivity gap in Africa, it is pertinent to put it in perspective. In Africa, despite close physical proximity, political, linguistic and infrastructural constraints have complicated communications and transportation between countries. This has led to difficulties in doing business with Africans and within Africa. For instance, flying around Africa can be difficult, long and frustrating for business executives. The CEO of Vivajets, Erika Achum, puts it succinctly during an international press conference in September 2023, noting how ridiculous it is, that a commercial flight from Lagos to Luanda (3 hours apart), will have to make a detour in Europe enroute. By leveraging on private aviation, business executives can get to their target destinations faster, and more conveniently, thereby solving the connectivity problem.
Nevertheless, the cost of booking private jets is so exorbitant that it is considered a luxury that is accessible to only a few. This is where Vivajets' second mission of making private aviation more accessible and affordable comes in. On one hand, the company is increasing capacity to meet up with rising demands, whilst on the other hand, it is deploying collaborations, technology and other innovations to increase affordability and open the market to a new customer segment. One of the factors that gives Vivajets an edge in this area is its end-to-end business model that integrates aircraft maintenance, acquisition, sale and charter services all in one basket. For instance, an aircraft under the fractional ownership program can be used for charter flights to service other customers whilst at the same time, generating revenue for the owners and to maintain the aircraft. The company's fractional ownership program also makes an aircraft to be an investment to its owners as much as a business tool.
Furthermore, Vivajets has leveraged heavily on international collaborations to raise funds and expand its business capacity, with operations opening in multiple African countries, Europe, Middle East and North America. This has led the firm to participate in several high-profile international events including the World Economic Forum, WEF (Davos), Africa CEO Forum, ACF (Kigali), Invest in Africa Conference, AFSIC(London), and the latest, Africa Financial Summit, AFIS (Casablanca). In Casablanca, CEO, Chukwuerika Achum remarked that business aviation is not just a service; it's a critical enabler for progress. It connects leaders, ideas, and opportunities, helping to shape a brighter future for Africa. Chief Operating Officer, Tejumade Salami, added that the firm is 'democratizing' private aviation, ensuring more leaders and organizations can harness its benefits to drive growth and transformation in Africa.
Lastly, in its quest to make private aviation inclusive, Vivajets is leveraging on technology, leading to the emergence of two new brands under the Falcon aero group. One of the products being developed is Charterxe, a digital platform for private jet booking. Charterxe is poised to cause a disruption in the African private aviation industry, akin to what ride hailing apps like Uber did to taxis. By removing middlemen and reducing bottlenecks, Charterxe can make private aviation more efficient and more affordable. Another technology product in the making is FlyPJX, a novel charter per seat platform that will make it possible to book a seat on an aircraft rather than the entire plane.
"Innovation and technology have been critical factors in our success story. We are building products that integrate digital technology with tailored service delivery to improve booking and travel experience," Basil Agbor, Head of Products and Innovation remarked, as the company sponsored AFSIC, which took place in October 2024.
Vivajets has come to make an impact in a hitherto exclusive and conservative industry with a unique approach that combines world class aviation services, international collaborations and leverage on technology.
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