Boeing Africa Plc has increased its long-term sales outlook for the African continent, forecasting demand for 1,700 commercial aircraft over the next 20 years. That figure represents a 40% rise from the 1,200-aircraft projection released last year and an increase from the 1,000-plane outlook issued three years earlier, Managing Director Henok Teferra Shawl said in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Thursday.
Single-aisle jets are expected to account for roughly two-thirds of the anticipated demand, reflecting the market mix Boeing anticipates across intra-continental and short-haul routes. The company points to several structural factors as the engine of future passenger growth.
"Africa is growing very rapidly economically and that directly translates into air travel growth," Shawl said in an interview. Boeing cites a combination of demographic and economic trends - a youthful population, a rising middle class, rapid urbanization and targeted airport investments - as the principal drivers behind an expected average annual passenger traffic expansion of about 6%.
Macroeconomic context cited by Boeing and company executives includes an International Monetary Fund estimate that Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic output is projected to grow by 4.6% this year, compared with a global average of 3.3%. Boeing also notes it holds roughly 70% of the market share for commercial aircraft sales in Africa.
The updated forecast signals a marked upward revision in Boeing Africa’s view of the continent’s long-term fleet needs. Boeing’s projection underscores the company’s expectation that demand for single-aisle airplanes - the workhorses of short- and medium-haul routes - will anchor the region’s fleet expansion.
While the figures outline a bullish demand profile, Boeing’s estimate is tied explicitly to the economic and demographic trends it cites. The company’s market share and the scale of airport investment are presented as key contextual facts supporting the revised outlook.
Context and implications
- Higher aircraft demand supports airlines, airport operators and aircraft manufacturers, with particular emphasis on single-aisle production and supply chains.
- Projected passenger growth and economic expansion could influence airline fleet planning and infrastructure financing across the region.