AFRICA THE MOVE Sub-Saharan Africa presents a major market opportunity for Boeing By Bill Seil More than a half-century ago, in 1960, Boeing delivered a 707 to South African Airways, launching commercial jet service on the continent of Africa. This historic event represented not just a new and faster mode of transportation to millions of people; it provided an important transportation resource to accelerate the opening of markets and facilitate economic growth. More than 50 years later, Boeing serves more than 40 airline customers on the continent, with a fleet representing about 62 percent of the market. Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines are operating the advanced 787 Dreamliner. Comair in South Africa has ordered the 737 MAX. Economic growth in the vast, resource-rich African continent is bringing new opportunities to its people. Ten of the 15 fastest-growing countries in the world are in Africa, and by 2035 it is expected to have a larger workforce than India or China, according to Boeing’s Current Market Outlook. Sustaining and expanding this growth is critical to Africa’s future and a primary development goal of countries across the continent. Commercial aviation—both passenger and cargo—is key to economic development and creating jobs on the continent, which has a limited transportation infrastructure. There also is a rapidly expanding middle class and airlines are PHOTO: A view of Cape Town, South Africa’s second-most-populous city. SHUTTERSTOCK Frontiers September 2014 35
Frontiers September 2014 Issue
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