Dubai: UAE-based aircraft management and charter company Empire Aviation Group (EAG) will look at opening a permanent base in West Africa after it opens its new Hong Kong base in January.
“We already have eight aeroplanes operating in Africa and that fleet does continue to grow so it would quite logical that we have to do something [there],” said Steve Hartley, executive director, in an interview on Monday.
Harley singled out West Africa before suggesting the company could open its first permanent Africa base in Nigeria.
Nigeria has become the regions biggest private jet market, ahead of South Africa and Angola, in line with the country’s recent economic boom.
EAG has a mixed fleet of 28 aeroplanes, which includes Dassaults, Embraers, Gulfstreams and Bombardiers, after adding six aircraft in the past 12 months, Hartley said.
“[The fleet] is certainly growing,” he said.
EAG will shortly add a Gulfstream G650 and Falcon 8X to its fleet in response to increasing demand for larger aircraft.
“The fleet is definitely moving to the larger aeroplanes … range is a key driver for everybody,” Hartley said.
