Embraer showcases Africa’s potential
AN EMBRAER report has highlighted the need for better intra-African air connectivity, including the role regional air travel can play in unlocking economic growth across the continent. The study draws a sharp contrast between Africa’s population and relatively minor role in global aviation, containing 18% of the world’s inhabitants but accounting for just 2.1% of global air traffic, according to IATA data. The report points to this imbalance as a barrier to economic progress and identifies specific strategies to address the shortfall in direct routes and flight frequencies within the region. It states 64% of intra-African city pairs are served by fewer than seven flights a week, while many routes remain unserved, forcing travellers through hubs – in some cases, as far as away as Europe or the Middle East. Based on the past decade of air traffic data, the manufacturer identified 45 intra-African routes that could sustain multiple weekly direct services with a 100-seat aircraft. The top ten routes could support at least three nonstop flights per week and the report predicted an increase in passenger volumes if direct services are launched.