Over the next 20 years, African airlines will acquire 380 new jet airliners in the small single-aisle (or small narrowbody) segment – that is, aircraft with fewer than 150 seats – and 220 new turboprop airliners. This is the forecast of Brazil-based global major aerospace group Embraer, in its Market Outlook 2024, released at the Farnborough International Airshow, currently under way in the UK. Embraer’s Commercial Aviation business specialises in small narrowbody airliners. Africa’s gross domestic product is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 3.6% between now and 2043, the report notes. African air passenger demand is expected to grow faster still, at an average annual rate of 4.4%.
