African airlines will need 1,100 new aircraft by 2040 (Airbus)
Airbus is participating in the Aviation Africa Air Show, which is being held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 12 to 13 September 2022. On the sidelines of this event, the European aircraft manufacturer presented its forecasts for African air transport over the next two decades.
The total fleet of African airlines will double in 20 years. According to the global market forecast published by Airbus on Monday 12 September 2022, African airlines will need 1,100 new passenger and cargo aircraft by 2040 to meet market demands. This will bring their total fleet to 1,440 aircraft, up from 680 in 2019.
"During this period, the region's fleet will switch to new generation types, such as the A220, A320neo, A330neo and A350, enabling a significant improvement in their efficiency, and a consequent reduction in carbon emissions per passenger," the aircraft manufacturer says.
Currently, airlines on the continent operate some of Airbus' most efficient and modern aircraft, such as the A350XWB, A330neo, A320neo and A220, with nearly 40 African operators currently operating more than 230 Airbus aircraft. These include Ethiopian Airlines, Rwandair, Air Senegal, South African Airways, Ibom Air, Air Côte d'Ivoire and EgyptAir.
The maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) segment, which is already growing in Africa, will continue on the same trajectory. The Airbus Global Services Forecast (GSF) predicts that 16,000 new maintenance technicians and 12,000 pilots will be needed over the next two decades.
"Increased MRO capacity in Africa will reduce maintenance costs spent outside the continent, and open up a significant employment market for local engineers and technicians," Airbus predicts.
According to the manufacturer, inter-African and out-of-continent passenger traffic is expected to grow by 2.3% by 2040. Cargo traffic to and from Africa will increase by 2.5%. Airbus expects air traffic in Africa to reach 2019 (pre-COVID-19) levels between late 2023 and early 2025.
