Afrijet Becomes Gabon’s National Airline
The Gabonese government has acquired a 56% majority shareholding in the private airline Afrijet via its new holding company Fly Air Gabon in effect becoming the Central African country’s national airline.
Afrijet has been profitable since its creation, in 2004, by a group of Gabonese investors and the company has developed a successful hybrid business and commercial aviation model.
Since 2016 Afrijet has built a solid regional air transport network and for the past five years it has been the leading airline in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC).
The company is taking a new step with the decision of the Gabonese authorities to pool the country’s know-how and skills to build a new national company, Fly Air Gabon, relying on Afrijet’s existing expertise, network and infrastructure.
Marc Gaffajoli, the general administrator of Afrijet noted in his press briefing that welcoming state ownership and becoming its standard bearer -involves aligning the development strategies of the country and the company. Mr Gaffajoli noted that the company intends to reduce costs and thereby prices, without losing the DNA of private management. Fly Gabon plans to acquire new medium-haul aircraft while Afrijet will consolidate its fleet to serve domestic and regional routes.
