VivaJets Confident About African Aviation Despite Policy Challenges

Business aviation company VivaJets has expressed confidence in the future of Africa’s aviation sector, even as it highlighted significant policy deficiencies that still hold back growth.

Speaking at the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS 2025) in Morocco, VivaJets CEO Chukwuerika Achum praised recent progress in regional cooperation and technological adoption, but urged greater regulatory alignment and financial trust across the continent’s aviation markets.

He pointed to structural constraints such as visa restrictions, inconsistent overflight and landing permit processes, and high insurance premiums as major roadblocks. According to Achum, some African airline crews still need visas to travel between African countries, despite international standards under ICAO’s Annex 9.

Achum also criticised the lack of financial trust among African operators, noting that while European carriers often receive credit terms, many African businesses are required to pay cash upfront.

To fix these issues, he called for coordinated reforms involving governments, regulators, and financial institutions. Among his recommendations: enforcing ICAO standards, increasing local insurance capacity, streamlining cross-border payments, and building more reliable credit systems.

Oshuniran Sheriff Ola