The world’s third-largest airplane manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace, kickstarted a 16-African city marketing tour last week, with a four-day showcase of its latest offering, the Global 6000, in it’s most promising African market – Nigeria.
Bombardier’s sales Director for Africa, Mr Robert Habjanic stated that the airplane manufacturer has “orders for Global 6000 in the country.” He made the statement at the international airport in Lagos as prospective customers inspected the business jet, which costs an average of $60 million.
He also added that with about 35 Bombardier-made business aircraft currently flying Nigeria’s airspace, the country is its biggest market share.
Bombardier, which has been in a fierce competition with Boeing and Airbus for purchase bias of global leaders, billionaires and Hollywood stars has caught the attention of Nigerian entrepreneurs and the presidency.
The four-day show was part of a strategy aimed at capturing the growing airplane market (especially for private jets), in Africa’s second-biggest economy. According to a report by leading Nigerian newspaper Punch, Nigeria rivals China as one of the two fastest growing private jet markets in the world.
In 2007, it had only 20 private planes sitting in hangars. Presently, records indicate an additional 130 private planes, valued at 1.02 trillion naira ($6.5 billion).
Most of the purchases were made through foreign private companies making the verification of the Nigerian owners difficult. However, Nigeria’s presidency said earlier this year that a Falcon 7X (5N-FGV) joined the Presidential Air Fleet, after two Falcon 7X (5N-FGU) had been ordered for $102 million and Gulfstream’s G550 (5N-FGW) for $53 million, in 2010.
Last year, two prominent Nigerian pastors, E.A Adeboye and Bishop Oyedepo, who both were listed as top 50 most powerful men on Earth by Newsweek , disclosed the acquisition of new jets by their churches.
Bombardier is the world’s only manufacturer of both planes and trains. Looking far ahead while delivering today, Bombardier is evolving mobility worldwide by answering the call for more efficient, sustainable and enjoyable transportation everywhere.
Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, Bombardier has its shares traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD) and is also listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes.
