Reiterates commitment to Africa’s air transport and aerospace sectors
Kigali, Rwanda September 12, 2022 – this week, Airbus will join experts and key decision makers in the aviation industry at the Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition taking place 12th and 13 September 2022.
During the two-day summit Airbus will discuss a range of compelling regional and global challenges and solutions including : sustainability and its critical role in driving the future of aerospace as well as Africa’s growing Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) segment.
The significance of aviation to Africa’s growth and sustainable development cannot be over-exaggerated. Governments across the continent are leveraging the industry’s ability to bring about economic transformation. Aviation not only gets people moving, but it also fosters regional integration, creates jobs and enables domestic, intra-African and global trade.
Airbus forecasts that air traffic in Africa will achieve full recovery to 2019 levels between late 2023 and beginning 2025. Globally, cargo is already operating today at 9% above pre-crisis levels, and in Africa 23%*. O&D passenger traffic in Africa is set to increase by a factor of 2.3 by 2040. Cargo traffic to and from Africa will increase by a factor of 2.5.
To meet market demands, African airlines will require 1,100 new passenger and freight aircraft deliveries by 2040, according to the 2021 Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF). This will bring the total fleet to 1,440 from a 2019 fleet baseline of 680 aircraft. During this period, the fleet in the region will transition to new generation types such as the A220, A320neo family, A330neo and A350 bringing significant efficiency improvement and a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions per passenger.
Africa’s expanding maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) segment will continue on the same growth trajectory – Airbus’ Global Services Forecast (GSF) anticipates 16,000 new service technicians and 12,000 pilots will be needed over the next two decades. Increasing local MRO capabilities cuts the cost of maintenance outside of the continent and opens up a major job market for local engineers and technicians.
Today airlines on the continent operate some of the most efficient and technologically advanced aircraft such as the A350XWB, A330neo, A320neo and the A220. Africa’s Airbus operators include customers such as Ethiopian Airlines, Rwandair, Air Senegal, South African Airways, Air Côte d’Ivoire, EgyptAir and more. In total, over 230 Airbus aircraft are flown by nearly 40 African operators.
