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McCalvin Tjega, PDG de Luxury Plane
Jet Privé, Classe Paradis
TOPLINE
KM: You are one of the promoters of business aviation in Cameroon, what motivated you to get such a business off the ground?
MT: I don’t pretend to say that I am a pioneer in private aviation. This idea was born from a personal trip, a failed flight to Douala in Cameroon, for lack of plane. This is what aroused the desire to bring this offer. Today, it is a passion that gives me wings. If you put your heart into the realization of your projects and nothing stops you, success will surely follow. I decided to combine business with pleasure
KM: A private jet is all about chic and luxury. What are your working days like, are they as peaceful as a first class flight?
MT: My workday is more or less classic. Like everyone else, I wake up at 7 am. I’m in the office around 9 am, if I have a flight around 11 am. Otherwise, I start at 5 am and finish at 3 am. For example, three days before a Champions League final, we had more than 1500 movements until match day. I started my days around 5 am, and I went home around 4 am to return to the office at 8 am. My schedule is busy. Most often, I am on the move for appointments abroad, either in Africa or in the Gulf countries. Those who travel in business jets have another way of looking at the trip. It is a life of luxury or even ultra-luxury.
KM: You charter special flights for high-profile personalities, businessmen, international organizations, and national football teams. How do you manage to build this luxury clientele?
MT: Our clientele consists of businessmen who can travel on private flights. Private aviation remains a matter of culture and courage.
KM: How many jets do you currently know in your fleet?
MT: We have a large fleet of different types of aircraft in stewardship mode. We are in the process of developing an application that will be downloadable online. This innovation will allow customers to get their bookings from their smartphones quickly.
KM: The Civil Aviation Office in Cameroon has built a world-class specialized aviation sector school near Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport. What career opportunities can your company offer future pilots?
We can only support, recruit and bring our expertise as a private company.
KM: In Central Africa, traveling by private jet is not a common means of transportation. However, recent trends have shown an increase in demand. What could justify this development?
MT: The evolution of this trend is linked to the Covid-19 crisis. It was the perfect way for everyone (not only in Cameroon) to demonstrate their financial power. For your information, we have also reached an incredible peak in flight requests during this pandemic period.
KM: You are a partner of the Indomitable Lions. How did this collaboration come about, and what made you different from your competitors?
MT: LUXURY PLANE is not only in partnership with the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot) but also with several other federations on the continent, including Benin, Lesotho, Congo, Chad, etc. These federations trust us and are delighted with the quality of our services. I think it was our professionalism that motivated Fécafoot to trust us.
The competition usually brings out the best of its business and offers customers the best value for money.
KM: How high do you plan to fly in 10 years?
MT: First of all, I have a competitive spirit. So, I admit to being a fighter for success. I am not competing with anyone but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance. The next challenge is signing several LUXURY PLANE franchises worldwide using the slogan “LUXURYPLANE, MAKE YOUR TRIP EASY.”
KM: Is there a potential market in Cameroon for private jet companies?
MT: The culture of private aviation is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Therefore, having several private companies in a company that is not in line with its spirit, is not necessary. In Nigeria, for example, there are more than 6000 movements per year. This implies 6000 takeoffs and 6000 landings. In Senegal it is more than 1700 movements recorded per year. The two Congos accumulate more than 2600 movements per year. Togo, which is believed to be “small”, accumulates about 900 movements per year. About our dear country, we are only at 100 movements per year.
KM: This activity imposes huge financial commitments and the rules for civil aviation are strict. What constraints did you overcome when launching LUXURY PLANE’s activities?
MT: It is certain that creating or investing in an activity is a matter of great courage. The contribution committed to the creation of LUXURY PLANE was substantial, but anyone can be an entrepreneur. There is no shortage of time for what you think is important. The rules are really strict. We have no room for error. In a few words: security, safety, responsiveness, punctuality and discretion, are among the first rules. The first challenge was to agree to go back to school, at my age. The second was to enter a world strictly reserved for an elite. There was also the difficulty of finding a commercial space. Not easy, since I wanted to rub shoulders with all these giants of private aviation. But as we often say, impossible is not Cameroonian. The unit of value of an investor is a relationship between satisfaction and the project.