African Airlines & The Private Jets of Presidents

Dusty and neglected on the tarmac is this giant jet (probably a DC ) that was used by the president in the past, now forgoten and forlon.

A newer jet is now in place for the leader's personal use. This is a country without an Airforce. No second airport and hence the president's private splendour is right there for all to see. In a continent with about 40 airline's paractically all leaders have one or two private planes at their disposal. For instance, King Mswati III recently bought a new private jet for £28 million. Yet a quarter of his country needs food aid, 22 per cent of them have HIV, and the entire Swazi health budget is pounds £12.6 million.

Apart from the private airplanes for personal use of the African leader, the continent has about 40 airlines. Africa Airlines Association http://www.afraa.org/ based in Nairobi has amongst its memebrship many private airlines-an emerging trend- due to the continuing demise of oft mismanaged national carriers. A more recent addition is Virgin Nigeria which is flying to new destiantions in the West Africa region with predictable frequency.

Virgin Nigeria is an offshoot of Virgin Atlantic owned by Branson. This airline continues to fly to and from all the corners of Africa using the regional hubs of Johanesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, etc to link the continent with the rest of the world.

Kenya Airways though smaller than the giants of African skys-South African Airways, Ethiopian, Air Maroc, Tunisair and Air Algerie, - has continued to perform better and is well loved in the regions they serve outside Kenya, especially West Africa.

CVA from Cape Verde is a private airline that has been in operation since 1956. Not many national airlines can claim such longevity. I loved their professional demeanor.

Nigeria has numerous local airlines like Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Afrijet, Bellview, Capital Airlines Chanchangi Airlines, Dana Air, IRS Airlines and Virgin Nigerian flying to various destinations within the country and in the region. Bellview above is one of the bigger and busier ones. Others are Arik and Virgin Nigeria. One in every four Africans is a Nigerian and that should explain why they have so many airlines.