Airbus supplies 240 aircraft to 37 African operators
…Receives 279 orders from region’s airlines
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 effectively established Airbus, which today is a world leading aerospace company that designs, manufactures 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.
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.
Although, Scherer did not disclose the full details of the discussion and the worth of the deal, which he said was a trade secret, there are indications that the transaction could be more than $600 million, depending on the aircraft type.
The firm disclosed this to our correspondent in France.
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, manufactures 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.
Penultimate week at Airbus Innovation Days in Toulouse, France, the plane maker said it was holding several discussions with airline operators in Nigeria on sale of its jets in a deal that could gulp several millions of dollars.
Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Scherer, disclosed this.
Although, Scherer did not disclose the full details of the discussion and the worth of the deal, which he said was a trade secret, there are indications that the transaction could be more than $600 million, depending on the aircraft type.
Scherer admitted that Nigeria is a significant market of opportunity, adding that his firm had been having discussions in Nigeria with clients, which are the airlines.
His words: “Nigeria is a significant market of opportunities. We have had several discussions in Nigeria for A320, A220 and other family of Airbus aircraft.
“We are focusing on Nigeria on single aisle airplanes. I won’t divulge some trade secret to you. All I can tell you is that we are making inroad into Africa and Nigeria.”
Over time, Airbus had seen a sharp reduction in the use of its airplanes in the country, particularly after the liquidation of Nigeria Airways in 2003 and the self-inflicted crisis of Arik Air that led to take-over of the airline by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) over N500 billion debts the company was enmeshed in.
During the period it was a dominant carrier, Nigeria Airways operated a mixture of Boeing and Airbus planes. Among the Airbus planes it operated were the A300B and A310.
On the other hand, Arik, which came with a lot of promise, flew the wide-body A340-500 and the A330. One of the A340s is parked on the apron of the Lagos airport since over three years.
Just recently, FirstNation Airways operated two A319 planes until it had problems. The two aircraft are on the apron of the Murtala Muhammed Airport2 (MMA2).
Virtually all the operators in the country operate the Boeing airplanes. It is aircraft type that is very popular among the operators.
While Nigerian airlines are slow at aircraft mix, Airbus, New Telegraph learnt, is supplying aircraft to Air Cote d’Ivoire, RwandAir, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and others.
A source who spoke under condition of anonymity told our correspondent that the new interest in Nigeria could be as a result of reported pledge of Nigeria start-up airline, Green Africa Airways, to buy up to 100 737 Boeing MAX 8 aircraft in the largest commitment that carries a total list-price of $11.7 billion, as announced by aircraft manufacturer, Boeing Company, recently.
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