VivaJets secures $15 million from TLG Capital to expand West Africa aviation network

Falcon Aerospace Limited, trading as VivaJets, a Nigerian business aviation company founded by Chukwuerika Achum, has closed a $15 million credit facility arranged with support from TLG Capital, Premium Trust Bank, and Access Bank UK. 

The financing, structured by TLG Capital alongside its banking partners, is among the larger SME-focused aviation deals completed in Côte d’Ivoire. It will support the launch of an Abidjan operations hub, development of local maintenance capacity, and expanded charter services across Francophone West Africa. 

The deal follows an earlier $10 million facility extended to VivaJets, which helped the company expand its fleet and strengthen operations across key African routes.

TLG-led blended aviation facility expansion

The facility was arranged as a blended structure involving TLG Capital, Premium Trust Bank and Access Bank UK, designed to reflect regulatory and operational conditions across Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and the United Kingdom. 

The partners said the structure was built to accommodate currency risk, aviation asset requirements and cross-border compliance needs, allowing the business to scale beyond its existing Nigerian base. 

It follows an earlier $10 million facility extended to VivaJets, which helped the company expand operations and strengthen its charter and aircraft management services. The latest financing builds on that foundation and extends its footprint into Francophone markets.

Abidjan hub targets regional travel gaps 

A key focus of the investment is the establishment of an operations base in Abidjan at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport. 

Côte d’Ivoire’s economy has continued to expand at more than 7% annually in recent years, driving demand for executive travel and project-based mobility across West Africa. However, limited direct air links between Francophone and Anglophone markets have left gaps in regional connectivity. 

Falcon Aerospace said the Abidjan hub will support charter services and aircraft management across Côte d’Ivoire and neighbouring countries including Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Togo and Benin. 

The company noted that many executives and institutions currently rely on long routing through European hubs to travel between West African cities, a constraint it aims to reduce through direct regional services.

Falcon funds West Africa MRO shift

Beyond route expansion, Falcon Aerospace said part of the funding will support the development of maintenance capacity within West Africa. 

Industry estimates suggest that a large share of aircraft maintenance work from the region is currently performed outside Africa, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. This has contributed to higher operating costs and limited technical development within local aviation ecosystems. 

The company said it is working to change that pattern by expanding in-country maintenance services and training capacity. It pointed to a recent landing gear inspection completed in Nigeria as an example of work previously sent abroad that can now be handled locally. 

The Abidjan hub is expected to extend this capability into Francophone markets over time.

Falcon CEO cites aviation complexity region

Chukwuerika Achum, chief executive of Falcon Aerospace Limited, said the transaction reflects a financing approach tailored to the realities of African aviation. 

“We have found in TLG Capital a partner that understands the complexity of aviation in this region,” he said. “They have worked with us to build a structure that fits what we are trying to do, rather than forcing us into a narrow template. Abidjan is the next step in that process.” 

Isha Doshi, partner at TLG Capital, said the facility was designed to bring together local and international financial institutions. 

“Our role was to structure a transaction that aligns banks across jurisdictions and supports sustainable aviation growth in West Africa,” she said. “We see long-term opportunity in this market and will continue to support similar platforms.”

About Falcon Aerospace and TLG Capital 

Falcon Aerospace Limited is a Nigerian business aviation platform and parent company of VivaJets. Founded in 2022, it provides aircraft charter, management and acquisition services and has logged more than 2,000 flight hours. 

TLG Capital is a UK-based African investment manager that has completed transactions across multiple African markets since 2009, focusing on structured credit and private investments in growth sectors.

TLG Capital has also recently participated in financing arrangements across West Africa, including a $10 million real estate project in Guinea in partnership with Kandara Immo and NSIA.