240 Airbus aircraft in service with 37 operators-Airplane maker

Aircraft giant, Airbus said it had received 279 commercial aircraft orders from African airlines, stressing that of these, 240 are presently in service with 37 operators.

Similarly, over 600 Airbus helicopters have been delivered to African customers, more than half of which are in service with customers in Southern and Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.

This is coming as Airbus marks the 50th anniversary of the agreement for the Franco-German development of the world’s first twin-engine, twin-aisle wide body jetliner, the A300.

This effectively established Airbus, which today is a world leading aerospace company that designs, manufacturers and supports commercial airliners, helicopters, military aircraft, unmanned airborne systems, space rockets and satellites.  It is also pioneering new technology and concepts for urban mobility vehicles.

The firm’s light transport and tactical mission’s aircraft are operated by several African air forces, while elements of its A400M strategic airlifter are engineered and manufactured in South Africa.

 Airbus earth-orbiting satellites provide imagery and data-driven intelligence to customers and partners across the continent where they are used in agriculture, urban planning, minerals exploration, fisheries protection, border,   water and land security.

 The Airbus BizLab accelerator supports and mentors tech start-ups and the Airbus Foundation assists humanitarian aid missions and runs science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning outreach programmes around the world, including in Africa.