Africa's aviation industry predicted to grow rapidly

JOHANNESBURG, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Africa's aviation industry will witness a rapid growth over the next 20 years due to rising prosperity and a growing middle class, according to a report published here on Tuesday.

Pushed by a growing market demand, Africa is to acquire an additional 900 new airplanes with an estimated cost of 120 billion U.S. dollars during the period, said the report by U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing

Meanwhile, African countries need a total of 14,500 pilots and 16,200 maintenance technicians to manage their fleets.

The rapid growth in Africa's aviation industry will come as European traffic, which had a 60-percent share of Africa's total traffic 20 years ago, will fall to around 40 percent, according to the report appearing in Business Day.

Africa, which had one of the oldest fleets in the world, will have to continue to modernize to compete on routes traditionally dominated by foreign carriers, said Mike Warner, Boeing's director of market analysis.

"This is a market that demands newer, more fuel-efficient planes to help offset the rising cost of fuel and the excessive maintenance costs of an ageing fleet," Warner said.

But the report also said restrictions on airlines wanting to fly to many countries on the continent -- along with a lack of infrastructure, pilots and technical skills -- would restrict the establishment of a low-cost carrier. Enditem

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