Giving Business Aviation A Push In Africa

Business aviation has been defined as that part of general aviation that focuses on the business use of aircraft. This excludes regular scheduled airlines and military operations. The raison d'être of business aviation is "the need for fast, flexible, safe, secure and cost-effective access to destinations across the country and around the world". Perhaps, one of the major drivers of business aviation in Africa is, or ought to be flexibility. Business aviation in Africa has continued to grow even though figures may not readily available. However, the African air transport industry is poised for growth of averagely 5.5% in the years to come and many believe this growth should also be felt on the business aviation side of the industry in the same proportion, if not more. While there are many factors expected to drive the growth of business aviation in Africa, there exists a number of challenges the sub-sector must wriggle itself out of in order to bring its immense benefits to communities and organizations in Africa.

Many have posited that of all the continents in the world, perhaps Africa more than any other, requires a well developed business aviation sub-sector. In most parts of the continent, the parlous state of access roads in many countries creates peculiar difficulties as commuters try to reach several communities wide apart. The rail system is asleep and snoring. Other drivers of business aviation include the growing tourism industry in several parts of the continent, lack of medical facilities even in many urban centres in Africa and the need for medevac to patronize hospitals in Europe and elsewhere. Often health campaigns require outreaches to far removed communities in the continent and within countries. A largely primary production-based economy, Africa has been assisted by business aviation in agriculture and mining, besides other interests such as aerial mapping, crowd control and crime prevention and even movements on religious missions. Poor connectivity and lack of cooperation amongst African airlines have combined to ensure that there are no direct flights by any airlines to very many city pairs on the continent. For instance, as close as these countries are, there are no commercial flights between Nigeria and Niger Republic; between Nigeria and Chad or between Nigeria and Burkina Faso.