FG Seeks Establishment of Aircraft Service Centre in Nigeria

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has led a delegation of private jet operators in Nigeria to engage with officials of Canadian aerospace company, Bombardier Inc., over plans to establish a major aircraft service centre in Nigeria.

Keyamo disclosed this in a post on his official X handle, on Friday, July 10, saying the discussions focused on creating a facility that would provide maintenance support for Bombardier aircraft operating in Nigeria and across Africa.

According to the minister, the proposed service centre would reduce the need for aircraft owners to take their jets abroad for maintenance, thereby helping to conserve foreign exchange.

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“Yesterday, I led some major operators of private jets in Nigeria to Montreal, Canada to engage with officials of Bombardier Inc., a leading Canadian aerospace company specialising in the design, manufacture, and servicing of luxury business jets (such as the Global and Challenger families) and defence aircraft solutions,” Keyamo said.

He added that the meeting explored “the prospect of the company establishing a major service centre in Nigeria” to support aircraft within the country and the wider African continent.

Keyamo noted that Nigeria currently has the highest number of private jets in Africa, with nearly 240 aircraft operating in the country, adding that significant foreign exchange is spent on maintaining the aircraft overseas.

“Nigeria officially has the highest number of private jets in Africa with nearly 240 presently operating within the country and so much foreign currency is repatriated weekly from the country for the maintenance of these aircraft,” he said.

The minister said attracting Bombardier’s maintenance operations to Nigeria would strengthen the country’s aviation sector and position it as a regional hub for business aviation services.

Bombardier Inc. is a Canadian aerospace company known for producing business aircraft, including its Global and Challenger series of private jets, as well as providing aircraft maintenance and support services globally.