UK aircraft management and charter company Hangar 8 plans to set up a fixed-base operation in Lagos, Nigeria as "a stepping stone to a wider African presence".

Oxford-based Hangar 8 - which was listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market in November - believes the region's rising commodity-based wealth makes it ripe for business aviation.

"Nigeria is the gateway to Western Africa given its geographical positioning, relative wealth, size and poor internal infrastructure," says the company. "Our charter experience backs up our research that demand will be strong for reliable, secure, well-maintained and Western-crewed aircraft and that charter rates are holding up well."

The company, which manages 30 business aircraft, will have its largest jet to date, an Embraer Lineage, on display at May's EBACE show in Geneva.

Source: Flight International