A multinational aircraft manufacturing company, Airbus, has said that airlines serving Nigeria would need an additional 159 aircraft by the year 2042.

During a media briefing held on Tuesday, ahead of the 7th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition opening at Abuja where Airbus unveiled its market forecast for Nigeria, the companys marketing director for Africa, Joel Ellers, said this number of aircraft includes 131 single-aisle aircraft such as the A220, A320 families, and 28 wide body aircraft such as the A330 and A350 families serving the Nigerian market in the next two decades.

According to Ellers, the prediction is based on the countrys current growth rate. He said Nigerias aviation sector holds a huge economic opportunity for international and domestic investors. He noted that non-African carriers carry 80 percent of traffic into Africa.

Airbus also predicts that the aviation sector growth on the African continent will drive average yearly service demand up by 4.1%, from US$2 billion, to US$7 billion. The company said that already, an estimated 7.7 million direct and indirect jobs have been created by the industry in Africa. It predicts that a further 17,0 00 technicians, 14 000 pilots and 23, 000 cabin crew positions will be required across Africa in the next 20 years.

In the wider African continent, Airbus predicts that 1,180 new aircraft will be needed for the continent by 2042, made up of 295 wide body and 885 single-aisle aircraft. During this period, the fleet in the region will transition to new generation types such as the A220, A320neo family, A330neo and A350 bringing significant efficiency improvement and a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions per passenger.

Ellers further encouraged airlines to acquire new-generation aircraft, noting that they were more energy-efficient and profitable.

According to him, 75 percent of aircraft flying worldwide are old-generation aircraft, while only 25 per cent are the latest generation.

Aviation plays a pivotal role in driving economic development across the African continent creating jobs, facilitating domestic, intra-African and global trade and regional integration. Its significance is particularly profound in the case of Nigeria, Africas most populous country. marked by substantial landmass, a vibrant, dynamic and ever expanding economy.

The aviation industry in Nigeria possesses the potential to emerge as the connective tissue that binds together its diverse regions and fuels economic progress. As Nigeria and indeed Africas aerospace industry grows and becomes more dynamic, an increasing demand for specialised skills is creating thousands of new opportunities for young people on the continent.

Over the past 10+ years, significant improvements to the industry have been made across the continent, including the creation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) as well as the modernisation of fleets by national airlines. There are currently 265 Airbus commercial jetliners flying with 36 operators in Africa.

Today African carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines, Ibom Air, Air Senegal, South African Airways, Air Cote dIvoire, EgyptAir, Uganda Airlines and Air Tanzania, have chosen to operate some of the most technologically advanced aircraft such as the A350, A330neo, A320neo and the A220, he said.(Daily Sun)