Bombardier projects demand for 550 aircraft in 60 to 150 seat range for Africa out to 2036

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft forecast (12-Nov-2017) airlines in Africa will require 550 aircraft in the 60 to 150 seat segment between 2017 and 2036. This is 4% share of the world market for aircraft in this size category. Deliveries in Africa are expected to comprise 300 large regional aircraft (60-100 seats) and 250 small single aisle aircraft (100-150 seats). The company's 20 year forecast for the region predicts continuing growth in intra-regional flying (+4.6% p/a) in Africa dominated by large turboprops and small single aisle jets. The 60 to 150 seat aircraft fleet will grow by 2.4 times in order to meet the growing traffic demand. Bombardier projects the majority of these aircraft will have dual class cabins, with 90% of current intra-regional seats already dual class. The forecast notes that large turboprops have a significant share of capacity on short haul routes, having increased from three aircraft in 1990 to more than 100 at the moment. [more - original PR]