Jet charter, Nigeria
Private Jet Charter in Nigeria
The two most requested charter routes in Nigeria are Lagos to Abuja, usually a same-day meeting run, and Lagos to London, for board trips and family departures. Both leave from Murtala Muhammed International rather than a scheduled terminal, and both can be set up within a working week when an aircraft and the paperwork line up.
Below: the core routes with distance and flight time, what each type costs its operator per hour, the terminals and FBOs that handle departures, and the booking steps. We broker; a certified AOC holder flies, and your quote names that company. If buying outright interests you more than chartering, private jets for sale in Nigeria sets out 2026 prices by class, with naira quotes.
Where charter clients actually fly from Lagos and Abuja
Lagos to Abuja is the workhorse route: a same-day return for a board meeting or a ministry visit, usually on a midsize jet out of Murtala Muhammed International (LOS). Lagos to London is the other constant, corporate boards, family travel and political delegations all book it, typically on a super-midsize or large-cabin jet with the range to skip a fuel stop.
Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV) in Abuja handles a good share of this too: its 11,844 ft runway takes anything from a turboprop to an ultra-long-range jet, which matters for government and diplomatic movements that need Abuja rather than Lagos. Nigeria's charter fleet leans on midsize and super-midsize types, the Bombardier Challenger 350 among them, well suited to circuits that continue on to Accra or Abidjan as well as the domestic Lagos-Abuja shuttle.
Oil and gas executives add a third pattern: shorter regional charters to Port Harcourt or into neighbouring West African capitals, often on the same aircraft doing the Lagos-Abuja run earlier in the week.
Lagos charter routes: distance, aircraft and flight time
Four routes cover most of what Lagos clients ask for. Each distance is great-circle from Lagos. The class shown is our usual first suggestion for that leg, and the time comes from dividing the distance by that class's cruise speed as recorded in our aircraft data: 441 knots for the midsize XLS+, 464 for the Phenom 300E light jet, 470 for the super-midsize Challenger 350, and 458 to 488 for the large-cabin Falcon 2000LXS and Challenger 650.
There is deliberately no price per route. A Lagos quote is a single all-in figure for your trip, and it changes with positioning, overflight and landing permits, handling and crew nights. The next section shows what operators spend per hour on each type: a floor under any quote, not a charter price.
| Route | Distance | Typical aircraft class | Approx. flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos (LOS) to Abuja (ABV) | 280 nm | Midsize jet (Citation XLS+ or Latitude) | approx. 45 min |
| Lagos to Accra (ACC) | 220 nm | Light or midsize jet (Phenom 300E, XLS+) | approx. 30 min |
| Lagos to London (Farnborough) | 2,690 nm | Super-midsize (Challenger 350, G280, Praetor 600), nonstop on published range | approx. 5 h 45 min |
| Lagos to Dubai (DXB) | 3,180 nm | Large cabin (Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS); at the limit for a Challenger 350, so winds and payload decide | approx. 6 h 30 min to 7 h |
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Get a Lagos charter quoteWhat a charter out of Lagos or Abuja costs
Every charter price sits on top of what the aircraft costs its operator to fly. Those operator costs are listed below per flight hour, based on the 2025-26 cost figures, published or estimated, that we keep for the types most active in Nigeria. A real quote for your date also carries positioning, a crew night unless you return the same day, landing and handling fees, permits and the operator's margin; use the table to judge whether a quote is plausible, not to calculate one. How the hourly figure builds up is explained in our Africa operating cost guide.
| Type flown out of Lagos and Abuja | Class | Operator cost per flight hour (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Cessna Citation XLS+ | Midsize | about $3,000 to $3,800 |
| Cessna Citation Latitude | Midsize | roughly $2,800 to $3,600, estimate |
| Bombardier Challenger 350 | Super-midsize | about $2,625 to $2,750 direct cost |
| Gulfstream G280 | Super-midsize | roughly $3,200 to $3,800, estimate |
| Bombardier Challenger 650 | Large cabin | roughly $3,500 to $4,500, estimate |
| Embraer Legacy 600 | Large cabin | roughly $3,000 to $5,000, implied from annual cost |
MMA2, Abuja and the FBOs behind them
Private and charter traffic in Lagos generally routes through the MMA2 terminal at Murtala Muhammed International, which offers expedited security and customs alongside dedicated FBO and ground-handling support, rather than the main scheduled-airline terminal. In Abuja, Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) and Executive Jet Services are the FBOs that handle charter and owner-flown traffic at Nnamdi Azikiwe International.
Slot and permit reality: Nigerian civil aviation has been under active scrutiny over unregistered and illegal charter operations, a 2025-26 ministerial task force put the revenue lost to it over a decade above 120 billion naira, so expect ground handlers and the NCAA to ask for the operator's certificate and the aircraft's registration paperwork before departure, not just a passenger manifest. Build in a little slack for a first-time charter through either airport rather than assuming a walk-up departure.
Empty legs, and how booking works with us
An empty leg is an aircraft flying a sector anyway, to reach its next client or to go home, and sold cheaper for that one flight. They are not scheduled: whether one fits your dates depends on what happens to be repositioning through Lagos or Abuja that week. Flexible dates are worth mentioning, and we look for one before pricing a standard charter.
From first message to wheels up in Lagos:
- Send the route, date and number of passengers on WhatsApp.
- We search for a matching repositioning flight, then contact certified AOC operators that have a suitable aircraft close to Lagos or Abuja.
- Two or three options arrive, every one showing the operator, the aircraft type and a single trip price.
- You pick one; the operator's deposit holds it.
- Permits, handling at MMA2 or Abuja and catering are organised for you.
- The balance is settled before departure, and you fly.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a private jet flight from Lagos to London?
Lagos to Farnborough is about 2,690 nm great-circle. At a Challenger 350's typical cruise of 470 knots that is approx. 5 hours 45 minutes in the air, plus taxi and climb, and headwinds can add more. The Challenger 350, Gulfstream G280 and Praetor 600 all cover the distance nonstop within their published range.
How much notice does a Lagos charter need?
For a standard Lagos-Abuja day return, a few days' notice is usually enough if an operator has an aircraft based locally. For an international leg like Lagos-London, or for a specific aircraft type, book one to two weeks out, it gives us time to check empty legs and confirm permits rather than pay a premium for a same-day repositioning.
Which airport should I use for a private charter in Lagos?
Almost all charter and owner-flown traffic in Lagos departs through the MMA2 private jet terminal at Murtala Muhammed International, not the main scheduled terminal. It has dedicated FBO and ground-handling support and expedited security and customs.
Can I charter a jet for a same-day Lagos-Abuja return?
Yes, this is the most common charter booked out of Nigeria. The sector is about 280 nm, roughly 45 minutes at a midsize jet's cruise, so the round trip fits comfortably in a working day, departing Murtala Muhammed and returning the same evening, subject to the aircraft's schedule and turnaround time at Nnamdi Azikiwe International.
Do charter prices in Nigeria include ground handling and permits?
A properly quoted all-in trip price should include ground handling, standard permits and crew costs for the sector flown. Confirm this line by line before you pay a deposit, some quotes separate out landing fees or handling charges as extras, ask us to itemise it if a quote looks unusually low.
Quote a trip from Lagos or Abuja
Route and date are enough to start. We check for an empty leg first, then price the aircraft that suits the leg, operator named.
Get a Lagos charter quote