In the last eight years, the demand for business, executive or private jets or whatever name it is called, has increased, thanks to the new rules being introduced into the global travel industry by the United States of America (USA) transport authorities.The new trend is gradually eliminating the fact that owing or chartering a private jet is for flamboyance over the poor because business people are arguing that ‘we cannot afford to toy with time and allow some multi-million dollars business to just slip by. If you have the wherewithal, why not shelve the hassles of going through airports and airlines’ screening restrictions and get on with your business”.According to an aid to a Nigerian who owns a jet, ‘the aircraft is a business tool, it is not necessarily a status symbol or evidence of ostentatious living, if you are in their kind of business, with a busy schedule across the world, you would recognise the need for the jet.’” Until
recently, luxury jets were mostly flown and operated by their owners. Once the corporate world and even groups of vacationers began to learn about the benefits of private jet travel, demand for private flights grew fast. Currently, the private jet industry is organised into a national network where passengers can go online to check for price and availability.While private jet chartering was once considered as the ultimate luxury indulgence, the many benefits associated with private jet rentals have made them valuable options for business travel. Whenever time is of the essence, or whenever there is a special need or request associated with air travel, private jet rental becomes the best option when compared to commercial air travel.For corporate travel or for pleasure, the choice of private jets virtually eliminates all the stresses of air travel.For instance, commercial air travel has become more restrictive and less flexible over the last few years.
With private jet rental, passengers do not have to worry about a rigid itinerary that does not tolerate late arrivals. Most airlines that cater towards private jet rental operate out of executive airports that are more accessible and less crowded than regional or international airports.And whenever a private jet owner must take off from or land at busy international airport, boarding and deplaning of passengers is expedited at separate checkpoints within the airport.Private jet passengers can expect extra accommodations such as wheelchairs, extra leg space or seating room, or even a table on which they can truly spread out their briefcase or laptop. Depending on the private jet aircraft, telephone calls and in-flight Wi-Fi internet access may be included at no additional cost.The commercial air travel industry has become highly expensive when it comes to preferential seating and extra luggage and this is something that private jet operators have always
offered at no extra cost.Besides this, privacy and productivity are guaranteed aboard private jets; something not even first class passengers on commercial aircraft can enjoy. Business meetings are regularly conducted aboard private jets, and the industry takes pride on providing high levels of privacy for their passengers.The perks of flying in a private jet are more than convenience and time savings. There are spacious seats, leather upholstery, the privacy and security of being able to choose your cabin companions and the flexibility of knowing that when you step on the plane, the plane is ready for take-off.In Nigeria, though, there are questions bordering on the integrity of some private jet owners who even flaunt it and sometimes disobey aviation rules, not a few Nigerians believe that ‘the billions of naira humming in the airspace could be put to better use on ground in agriculture and infrastructural development due to the current state of
the nation.In recent times, there have been complaints about the life-style of some chief executives of corporate bodies who own jets in Nigeria.The questions being asked especially of publicly quoted companies are: Are the aircraft part of the quoted companies’ assets? Who authorised the purchase, the board or the shareholders? And could this luxurious lifestyle be a contributing factor to the plunge in the value of people’s investments? Would it not be necessary to cut costs, win investors’ confidence by cutting down on such things as private jets?”When you add the cost of all these jets to the cost of their daily maintenance, you are likely to get enough to boost the nation’s comatose manufacturing sector or agriculture and generate employment”, a stakeholder, who prefers anonymity said. In the past few years, the number of private jets bought by Nigerians has more than doubled.At least, five Hawker 900 XP jets have joined the fleet. Each,
according to an official of the Hawker Beechcraft Corporation, cost $14.9 million. Another five 800 XP at the cost of $13 million each have been purchased. Two brand new Hawker 4000 which is about $21 million each are already in Nigeria. Operators of business and private jets are expected to rake in billions of Naira as demand for their operations is set to rise due to the upcoming general elections for 2015.Already, BusinessDay learnt that some operators have received several bookings especially for between July this year and February 2015 from some politicians who want to move from one State to another for electioneering campaign.BusinessDay learnt that ‘even now that insecurity is on the rise, many of the politicians and big-wigs in Nigerian politics prefer to patronise them because they also provide their own security.”Apart from that, I think there is a policy that is not too favourable to them, I think Air Traffic Controllers now needs to get clearance from the Military Airport Commandant before allowing aircraft conveying VIPs, including state governors, to make use of the Presidential Wing at Lagos airport.”So coupled with the fact that they need the smaller jets to convey their party officials to rallies and campaigns, the operators may not even be able to accommodate all their flight requests”, an industry analyst said. Many of the operators operate light, midsize and large-cabin business jets in Nigeria.Also, a number of state governors, especially from the South-South geo-political zone now own their private jets, a situation that will also yield revenue for owners of private terminals.Some analysts say politicians may spend over N15 billion on private jet operations within the period adding that sometimes within 10 to 11 weeks preceding the April 2011 elections, they spent approximately N2.52bn on charter operations.To bring home the rate at which demand for private jets increases globally, the U.S. Private jet charter industry leader , New Flight Charters, reported a 15.4 percent client spending increase in private air charters for the 4th Quarter 2010, over the comparable quarter 2009.While New Flight Charters handled 232 flights during the quarter for a 5 percent increase, more revealing is the average charter booking amount which increased 21.2 percent year-over-year to $17,630. Thus overall private jet flight consumers in late 2010 were chartering higher-end aircraft, longer flights, or both.“More private fliers are chartering jets, during 4th Quarter 2010, jet aircraft comprised 77 percent of all private charters booked through the company, up from 70 percent in 2009. The remaining charters were mostly turboprop aircraft. Light jet activity increased the most, up 31 percent year-over-year. The most popular light jets during the quarter were the Citation V/Ultra, Learjet 31 and the Citation CJ series”, Rick Colson,
New Flight Charters President said.
SADE WILLIAMS