Skyridge Aviation — Fleet Strategy & Acquisition Plan
The fleet strategy and acquisition plan, the owned, financed and managed mix, the aircraft selection and the phased fleet build-up across the five-year plan.
Section 6 · Business Plan
Fleet Strategy & Acquisition Plan
The fleet strategy and acquisition plan, the owned, financed and managed mix, the aircraft selection and the phased fleet build-up across the five-year plan.
Skyridge’s fleet strategy balances three imperatives: matching
aircraft capability to the diverse missions the Company serves; phasing
acquisitions so that capital expenditure tracks demand and cash
generation; and combining owned and managed lift to maximise operating
scale per dollar of invested capital.
6.1 Fleet Composition
The Company will operate a mixed fleet spanning rugged turboprops for
bush and short-field operations through to midsize jets for regional and
intercontinental-feeder missions. Each type is selected for proven
reliability, strong residual values, established regional maintenance
support and suitability to Skyridge’s mission profile.
| Aircraft type | Class | Typical mission | Seats | Role in fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna Caravan EX | Turboprop (single) | Bush strips, safari, light cargo | 9–12 | Safari & utility |
| Pilatus PC-12 | Turboprop (single) | Versatile regional, safari, medevac | 6–9 | Workhorse |
| Beechcraft King Air 200 | Turboprop (twin) | Crew transport, regional executive | 7–9 | Mining & crew |
| Cessna Citation CJ3 | Light jet | Fast regional executive charter | 6–8 | Executive jet |
| Bombardier Challenger 300 | Midsize jet | Long regional / feeder, VIP | 8–9 | Flagship |
Table 8. Indicative fleet types and their
roles.
6.2 Phased Acquisition Plan
Owned-fleet expansion is deliberately measured, with each acquisition
financed through a combination of senior debt draws and internally
generated cash, and timed to follow demonstrated demand rather than to
anticipate it. Managed aircraft are added as owner mandates are won,
requiring no acquisition capital. The combined fleet grows from 4
aircraft in Year 1 to 15 in Year 5.
| Fleet metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owned / financed aircraft | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Managed aircraft | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Total fleet operated | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Owned-fleet value (USD ‘000) | 14,000 | 19,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 36,000 |
| Flight hours | 1,100 | 2,300 | 3,800 | 5,400 | 7,200 |
| Utilisation (hrs/aircraft) | 367 | 575 | 760 | 900 | 1,029 |
Table 9. Phased fleet and utilisation plan,
Years 1–5.
6.3 Utilisation Strategy
Aircraft economics are driven overwhelmingly by utilisation. Skyridge
targets a disciplined ramp from approximately 367 hours per owned
aircraft in Year 1 — a conservative figure reflecting fleet build-up and
route development — to about 1,029 hours by Year 5, still comfortably
within the envelope achievable by well-managed turboprop and light-jet
fleets. The multi-base network is central to this: by positioning
aircraft close to demand and chaining missions across the corridor map,
the Company minimises unproductive empty legs and lifts revenue-earning
hours per airframe.
6.4 Financing Approach
Owned aircraft are financed predominantly through the senior
aircraft-backed facility, secured against the airframes and amortising
from operating cash flow. The Company will also evaluate operating
leases for selected types where lessor terms are favourable — for
example, on aircraft dedicated to fixed-term mining contracts.
Pre-delivery deposits and acquisition costs in the launch period are
funded from the equity raise, as detailed in Section 13.
Cumulative gross capital expenditure across the plan totals $45.5m,
funded by a blend of equity, senior debt and reinvested cash. Each
tranche of fleet growth is gated on the prior year’s utilisation and
contract pipeline, so the Company can pause or accelerate expansion in
response to actual demand without jeopardising solvency.
Confidential — this business plan is provided to prospective investors and lenders for evaluation purposes only and may not be reproduced or distributed without the written consent of Skyridge Aviation (Pty) Ltd.