As the U.S. and European economies sputter along, aircraft manufacturers have had to rely on other geographic markets to realize any growth. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) have received a lot of attention in the last few years, but now it seems that manufacturers’ attention has turned to Africa.
- Bombardier forecasts orders of 810 business jets to Africa over the next 20 years.
- Cessna toured Africa in January 2013, showing its Cessna Citation Jet 3 and Cessna Sovereign.
- Dassault Aviation took a business tour of Africa in November 2012.
This interest in African markets makes sense—the private jet market is growing in Africa! Oil-rich Nigeria is second only to China in rate of growth in the sector. Nigeria has spent $6.5 billion on private jets since 2007. In five years, the number of jets in that country has increased from 20 to 150.
However, a new roadblock has cropped up. Rumors are going around that the Nigerian government has halted importations of private jets as of Jan. 21. This should be a temporary hold while officials reformulate the country’s policy on private aircraft. Considering the fast, significant growth in the last five years, previous policies are now outdated or irrelevant.
But there is promise for aircraft manufacturers throughout Africa, not simply in Nigeria.
To promote the African private jet industries, the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) was introduced at EBACE in May 2012. Its mission: “AfBAA will promote the understanding and benefits that Business Aviation provides for the continent’s economic development and prosperity through its unwavering commitment to the organization’s Guiding Principles, thus offering assistance and support to enterprises, entrepreneurs, business leaders, governments and their respective Civil Aviation Authorities.”
Africa is a huge continent, with diverse geographies, politics, cultures, and resources. As a result, intra-Africa air travel is extremely low, and this fact affects economies all over the continent. For any type of emerging market to grow here, people need to be able to go between locations within Africa without having to fly to London. Because traveling by road is often either dangerous or impossible, air travel is frequently the only way to get to a destination. The growing private jet market will likely lead to improved commercial flights intra-Africa and consequently, better business.