AfBAA Chair Dawit Lemma.
Africa has been the world’s second-fastest-growing business aviation market over the past six years, behind only South America, according to the African Business Aviation Association (AFBAA), which seeks to turn that growth into investment and policy change.
Speaking to Aviation Week at the recent Aviation Africa 2026 conference, AFBAA Chair Dawit Lemma said the sector has spent too long discussing its potential without evidence to back it up. “We know we are growing, but we also know we are missing opportunities,” he said. “We have talked about opportunities for more than a decade; now we want to convert them into investment, business evolution and commercial growth. To do this, we need to be data driven. [We need] reliable, unbiased and authenticated data.”
To close that gap, AFBAA has launched what Lemma called “the most comprehensive independent study of African business aviation ever undertaken.” Conducted by behavioral economics and strategic marketing consultancy Seefeld Group, the research began in June and runs in three phases. While full results are pending, the research has produced five key findings.
First, African business aviation activity is driven primarily by private and corporate operators, rather than government or head-of-state travel.
Second, global players including VistaJet, NetJets and Solairus increasingly complement African-based operators, supporting international travel to Africa and flights within the continent.
Third, the study identifies significant potential for midsize business jets. Africa’s long distances and limited commercial airline services create opportunities for this category, which remains underrepresented and generally older than the continent’s turboprop, light jet and long-range fleets. This presents an opening for manufacturers and financiers.
Fourth, charter access remains limited. Private business aircraft activity has grown considerably, but commercial aviation, including for-hire charter, has not kept pace. Foreign operators are increasingly filling this gap as African airline passenger demand continues to grow.
Finally, the research highlights a gap between perception and reality. Infrastructure, regulation and operating complexity remain challenges, but they do not indicate weak demand. Overcoming this misperception can help unlock business aviation’s potential to support economic development across a region containing many of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
The findings carry implications across the industry. For manufacturers, being ready to sell and support aircraft in Africa presents an opportunity to strengthen long-term market access and brand preference. Service providers face rising demand for pilot and maintenance training, MRO facilities, ground and flight support.
For governments, infrastructure such as fixed-base operators (FBO), hangars and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities typically is less costly to establish and more readily funded by private investment than new airport terminals and commercial airline infrastructure.
Asked how he sees business aviation developing on the continent, Lemma said, “In the last decade, six or seven African economies, including Ethiopia, regularly feature in lists of the top ten fastest-growing economies in the world.” He added that in June, the New York Times reported that African tourism grew 8% last year, “the fastest growth anywhere in the world—driven by both outside visitors and a burgeoning middle class.”
Regulatory reform is advancing too, with 38 countries now signed on to the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), representing more than 80% of intra-African air traffic. “While the ink is dry, implementation has been mixed, but a willingness to create more liberal skies bodes well for the whole aviation community,” Lemma said.
He cited Bombardier's delivery of one of its first Global 8000 jets to Nigeria this year as proof that the continent is shedding old stereotypes. “For decades, Africa has been dismissed as ‘the dumping ground’ for older aircraft,” he said. “That narrative is outdated. Today, Africa holds its own with South America and Asia in terms of growth. And unlike those regions, African nations represent a cluster of fast-growing, emerging markets.”
Still, Lemma said work remains. “Since launching AFBAA more than 12 years ago, significant advances have been made, yet there is much more work to do,” he said.
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