VivaJets Expands into Africa’s Oil Sector with $21 Million Investment to Boost Energy Logistics
VivaJets, one of Africa’s fastest-growing business aviation firms, is deepening its footprint in the continent’s oil and gas industry through a new $21 million investment plan aimed at improving logistics efficiency and reducing downtime across petroleum operations. The company’s CEO, Erika Achum, announced the move at the African Energy Week in Cape Town, emphasizing that better air logistics can significantly cut costs in crude oil production, which currently stands at over $40 per barrel in Nigeria.
Achum said VivaJets’ growing role goes beyond luxury air travel; it’s becoming a critical logistics partner to Africa’s energy sector. “Over 90 percent of our flights are essential missions, not luxury trips,” she explained, noting that the company’s services are vital for moving people, equipment, and materials in the oil and gas value chain. According to her, time delays in the industry often translate into massive financial losses, sometimes as much as $150,000 per day, when rigs sit idle waiting for technicians or parts.
The company’s operations have recently benefited from the stabilisation of aviation fuel pricing and supply, thanks to Dangote Refinery’s local production of Jet A-1 fuel. For years, inconsistent fuel availability and high import costs hampered business aviation in Nigeria. “With local refining, we can now price services more predictably and operate more efficiently,” Achum said. VivaJets has also localised all aircraft maintenance, a move that has reduced costs by nearly 50 percent and created new technical jobs within Nigeria’s aviation ecosystem.
VivaJets recently secured $6 million in debt financing from UK-based TLG Capital and is finalising an additional $15 million funding round to expand its fleet across Africa. The company plans to grow from three to four aircraft immediately and significantly increase its fleet by the third quarter of 2026. Instead of building physical offices in every country, VivaJets is adopting an asset-light model, allowing aircraft to operate from key cities like Nairobi and Dakar while maintaining centralised control.
Achum highlighted that the synergy between aviation and energy will play a crucial role in Africa’s industrial growth. “Both sectors rely on safety, precision, and innovation. Our mission is to make Africa’s oil logistics more efficient, sustainable, and locally driven,” she said. By bridging aviation and oil, VivaJets is positioning itself as a strategic enabler of Africa’s economic future, ensuring the continent’s energy supply chains remain agile, connected, and cost-effective.
source: The Guardian