HELPING CONNECT AFRICA The livery of Kenya Airways’ first new 787 Dreamliner proclaims it the “Pride of Africa.” Even Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta was on hand at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi last month to welcome the 787 when it arrived after a delivery flight from Everett, Wash. “There’s a great deal of pride in the airline. It’s a pride of all the Kenyans,” said Titus Naikuni, the airline’s chief executive officer, who is a member of the country’s famed Maasai tribe. Kenya is establishing itself as a growing business hub for east and central Africa. It also serves markets, particularly Europe, with thriving agriculture and horticulture exports. It makes Kenya Airways an ideal candidate under efforts by the U.S. Export-Import Bank to help emerging nations in Africa succeed with the help of technologies supplied by the United States, said Rob Faye, Commercial Airplanes sales director for the airline. “Africa’s ground infrastructure is challenged in most nations,” Faye explained. “The air bridge between developed countries and developing countries like Kenya are vital to the growth of their economy. Without it, the economy stagnates.” Naikuni said his operation has been quick to fill the role with the help of Boeing 737s, 767s, 777s and now the 787. “What Kenya Airways does is help to connect a lot of business people with Africa, with Kenya and, for a lot of Kenyans, the rest of Africa,” Naikuni said. “In terms of the economy, we mean quite a lot to many economies in Africa.” n john.kvasnosky@boeing.com Frontiers June 2014 17 said Marc Allen, president of Boeing Capital. “That’s where BCC comes in. Our mission is to help our customers get workable financing in place ahead of every delivery.” “Ex-Im,” as the bank is commonly called, is an 80-year-old federal agency that is small but plays a very large role in U.S. exports, one of the biggest of which is Boeing’s commercial airplanes. In 2013, the bank facilitated financing for $34.7 billion of U.S. exports, including 123 Boeing jetliners, and it returned more than $1 billion to the U.S. Treasury through the fees it charges for its loan guarantees, according to the bank. But the bank is under attack in Congress. “This is a vitally important issue to the future success of our company, our suppliers, and all the people who design, build and support Boeing commercial airplanes,” Tim Keating, Boeing’s senior vice president for Government Operations, said of the ongoing political debate over the bank. The bank’s authority to operate expires Sept. 30, and while many members of Congress support the bank, according to Keating, a vocal minority wants to abolish it, including PHOTO: The first of nine 787 Dreamliners set to join the Kenya Airways fleet awaits departure from Everett, Wash., for Nairobi. COLLEEN PFEILSCHIEFTER/BOEING the chairman of the House committee with jurisdiction over the bank. “That would have a significant negative effect on our business because our competitors all have government export credit programs that support their international sales— three European government programs in the case of Airbus,” said John Wojick, senior vice president, Global Sales and Marketing, Commercial Airplanes. “If Congress shuts down Ex-Im, airlines still will be buying airplanes,” he added. “That’s not the issue. The issue will be who is making them—Boeing or Airbus—and the answer is likely to be Airbus.” Wojick estimates that hundreds of airplane sales would be in jeopardy over the next few years alone without Ex-Im support for customer financing. “Already we’re hearing from customers who are concerned about the future of Ex-Im, and they’re being very candid with us about what may happen if U.S. export credit becomes unavailable,” he said. Given the stakes, Keating said Boeing will need employees to voice support for the bank. He said U.S. companies in other industries likewise are concerned
Frontiers June 2014 Issue
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