Private jet charter from Lagos: live whole-aircraft estimates by route, the fleet based at Murtala Muhammed, seasonality and permit timelines.
A private jet from Lagos is chartered as a whole aircraft, not by the seat, and departures use the general aviation side of Murtala Muhammed International (DNMM/LOS). Lagos is the deepest business aviation base in West Africa: nine aircraft types are based here in our fleet data, from a King Air 350i up to a Gulfstream G550. That depth matters more than any headline hourly rate, because on a short domestic sector the difference between an aircraft already parked in Lagos and one flying in empty from Accra can account for most of the quote.
Demand here is driven by three things that rarely coincide elsewhere on the continent: upstream oil and gas traffic to the Niger Delta, a concentrated banking and corporate sector on Lagos Island and Victoria Island, and constant government movement to and from Abuja. The result is a resident fleet rather than a visiting one. Operators keep aircraft, crews and engineering support in Lagos instead of positioning them in for each trip.
For passengers that shows up in two ways. Short domestic sectors to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano price sensibly because the aircraft is already here rather than ferrying in from another country. And the spread of types on the ramp means a four-person day trip and a twelve-person intercontinental departure are both served without compromising on the aircraft.
Live whole-aircraft estimates, cheapest suitable aircraft on each sector, including the positioning leg. Figures refresh with the fleet and airport data behind them.
| Destination | Distance | Flight time | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotonou (COO) | 57 NM | 0h 34m | US$ 8,400 |
| Lomé (LFW) | 126 NM | 0h 52m | US$ 8,000 |
| Ilorin (ILR) | 132 NM | 0h 50m | US$ 8,400 |
| Okpe (QRW) | 160 NM | 0h 56m | US$ 8,200 |
| Asaba (ABB) | 201 NM | 1h 05m | US$ 9,100 |
| Accra (ACC) | 216 NM | 1h 14m | US$ 7,200 |
| Port Harcourt (PHC) | 236 NM | 1h 13m | US$ 10,100 |
| Owerri (QOW) | 242 NM | 1h 14m | US$ 10,000 |
| Abuja (ABV) | 276 NM | 1h 21m | US$ 11,300 |
| Uyo (QUO) | 303 NM | 1h 26m | US$ 11,800 |
| Calabar (CBQ) | 315 NM | 1h 29m | US$ 12,100 |
| Kaduna (KAD) | 343 NM | 1h 35m | US$ 13,200 |
| Malabo (SSG) | 364 NM | 1h 40m | US$ 13,800 |
| Sokoto (SKO) | 397 NM | 1h 47m | US$ 14,700 |
| Douala (DLA) | 412 NM | 1h 50m | US$ 15,100 |
| Abidjan (ABJ) | 440 NM | 1h 56m | US$ 8,500 |
| Ouagadougou (OUA) | 450 NM | 2h 13m | US$ 14,700 |
| Kano (KAN) | 450 NM | 1h 58m | US$ 16,200 |
| Libreville (LBV) | 518 NM | 2h 31m | US$ 17,900 |
| Yaoundé (NSI) | 521 NM | 2h 13m | US$ 18,200 |
| Yola (YOL) | 565 NM | 2h 23m | US$ 19,200 |
| Bamako (BKO) | 757 NM | 3h 31m | US$ 20,100 |
| Monrovia (ROB) | 817 NM | 3h 16m | US$ 20,500 |
| Pointe-Noire (PNR) | 855 NM | 3h 56m | US$ 24,600 |
| Kinshasa (FIH) | 980 NM | 5h 12m | US$ 29,000 |
| Freetown (FNA) | 990 NM | 3h 53m | US$ 23,600 |
| Conakry (CKY) | 1,022 NM | 4h 01m | US$ 23,100 |
| Luanda (LAD) | 1,100 NM | 7h 40m | US$ 24,700 |
| Banjul (BJL) | 1,248 NM | 4h 49m | US$ 22,300 |
| Dakar (DSS) | 1,297 NM | 4h 59m | US$ 20,400 |
| Johannesburg (JNB) | 2,443 NM | 7h 07m | US$ 42,100 |
Types with a home base at DNMM in our fleet data. Departing on a based aircraft avoids the empty positioning leg, which is the single biggest saving available on a short sector.
Two seasonal patterns affect charter out of Lagos. From roughly December to February the harmattan carries dust south from the Sahara, and on the worst mornings visibility at DNMM drops far enough to hold departures until it lifts. It rarely cancels a flight, but it makes an early slot less dependable than the schedule suggests.
The wet season runs from about April to July, with a shorter second peak in September and October. Rain itself is seldom the problem; the convective thunderstorms that build through the afternoon are. Morning departures are materially more reliable than late-afternoon ones in those months, and it is worth building the day around that rather than around the meeting.
Domestic flights are straightforward and can be arranged at short notice. International departures are where the timeline stretches: foreign-registered aircraft need landing and overflight permits from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and these are issued in working days rather than hours. A Friday request for a Monday cross-border departure is tight, and a public holiday at either end can add a day.
On the ground, private traffic is handled away from the main passenger terminal. The Quits Aviation Services free trade zone at Lagos hosts dedicated business aviation facilities, including ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria, and hangarage for based aircraft is concentrated there. Customs and immigration for international departures are cleared at the facility used rather than the main hall, which is the single largest time saving on the day.
The practical rule for Lagos is that the aircraft is rarely the constraint — the paperwork is. Give a cross-border trip a few working days of notice and it runs smoothly.
Across the 31 routes priced on this page, whole-aircraft estimates run from about US$7,200 on the shortest sector to US$42,100 on the longest. Charter is priced per aircraft rather than per seat, so the cost is the same whether one person travels or the cabin is full, and the positioning leg flown to collect you is included in every figure shown.
Charter flights use Murtala Muhammed International Airport (DNMM / LOS), with a longest runway of 12,794 ft at 135 ft elevation. Private departures are handled through the general aviation terminal or an FBO where one operates, which is a considerably faster process than the main passenger terminal.
Our fleet data shows 9 types based at DNMM: Hawker 800XP, Learjet 45XR, Embraer Phenom 300, King Air 350i, Challenger 605, Falcon 900EX, Embraer Legacy 600, Gulfstream G450, Gulfstream G550. A based aircraft does not have to fly an empty leg to reach you, so quotes on these types are usually materially cheaper than the same trip on an aircraft positioning in from another country.
The longest route priced here is Lagos to Johannesburg at 2,443 NM. Whether a given sector is flown non-stop depends on the aircraft: light jets and turboprops will need a technical stop on longer legs, while a heavy or ultra-long-range type will fly it directly. The aircraft list on each route page shows which types clear the distance.
Twenty-four to forty-eight hours is comfortable for a domestic or regional trip when a suitable aircraft is already nearby. Cross-border flights need longer, because overflight and landing permits in several African states are issued in working days rather than hours, and a weekend or public holiday in the destination country can add a day. Same-day departures are possible but depend entirely on what is already positioned within reach.
Private Jet Charter Lagos covers the airport choice, ground transfers and local operating detail for arrivals as well as departures.