AIR TRAVEL: FUELING THE ECONOMY, CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD Commercial airlines are among the forces driving growth and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. Airplane traffic is at the heart of the continent’s transportation infrastructure and a vital link to the global economy. Ethiopian Airlines was the first African carrier to order the 787 Dreamliner—10 787-8s in February 2005, with the first delivered in 2012. In 2013, the airline took delivery of its first 777-300ER (Extended Range), and its total fleet now includes nearly 50 Boeing airplanes. Ethiopian Airlines serves destinations in five continents. “Ethiopian Airlines is a jewel of an operator,” said Van Rex Gallard, Commercial Airplanes’ vice president for sales in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. “The leaders of Ethiopia decided that aviation was going to be a key machine to fuel the economy of their country. So they made a major investment in advanced equipment and hired some of the best people available.” Ethiopian Airlines is also a Boeing supplier, providing wire harnesses for all Boeing commercial airplane programs. Kenya Airways placed an order for nine 787-8s in 2006 and took delivery of its first Dreamliner earlier this year. In addition to the 787, the airline operates an all-Boeing long-haul fleet of six 767-300ERs, four 777-200ERs and three 777-300ERs. It serves more than 60 destinations across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. TAAG Angola Airlines has been a Boeing customer since 1975. Over the years, its fleet has grown to include five 737-700s, three 777-200ERs and three 777-300ERs. In April 2012, the airline announced an order for three 777-300ERs, the first of which was delivered in June of this year. South African Airways, which launched commercial jet service on the continent with Boeing’s 707 in 1960, also was the first African carrier to take delivery of a Boeing 747. The government-owned airline is looking ahead to the modernization of its fleet. Comair, based in South Africa, in March of this year announced an order for eight 737 MAX jetliners—the first order for the MAX announced by an African operator. The airline also operates four Next-Generation 737-800s, with four more on order. In late 2013, LAM Mozambique Airlines ordered three 737-700s. The carrier operates flights domestically and regionally across southern Africa. Other Boeing customers in the region include Arik Air, based in Nigeria, and Air Austral, based in Reunion Island, located east of Madagascar, as well as Air Madagascar, TACV Cabo Verde Airlines and Rwanda’s RwandAir. n Frontiers September 2014 37 on a country-by-country basis. Africa remains a very diverse continent of more than a billion people and not suitable for one grand strategy. Miguel Santos, Boeing International’s managing director for sub-Saharan Africa and Commercial Airplanes’ director of International Sales for southern Africa, noted the region is rich in natural resources including oil, natural gas, iron ore and coal. The sale of these resources is allowing African nations to expand their infrastructure, including major improvements to airports in southern and eastern areas of the continent. Construction companies, consultants and financial institutions have moved in, and there is a growing potential for industrial development. “Sub-Saharan Africa is exciting because it’s the last region in the world that is primed for major development,” Santos said. “The United States and Europe are the two greatest consumer markets in the world, and Africa is geographically well-positioned to PHOTO: A 787 Dreamliner in Kenya Airways livery. COLLEEN PFEILSCHIEFTER/BOEING
Frontiers September 2014 Issue
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