Embraer’s E190-E2 demonstrator on July 28 left Johannesburg, South Africa, where it spent two days before finishing a six-city tour of the African continent that also took it to Algeria, Morocco, Kenya, Ghana, and Mauritius. The E2 narrowbody departed for Africa from the Farnborough Airshow, where Embraer collected some $15 billion worth of orders and commitments.

Embraer’s renewed emphasis on Africa comes as projections call for the continent’s growth rate over 20 years to average 4.8 percent, resulting in an additional 270 million passengers a year for a total market of 400 million. Some countries rank amongst the fastest growing in the world, reaching a compound annual growth rate of 7.2 percent.

Embraer expects the launch of the new “Single African Air Market” and associated lifting of market barriers to create a new environment to foster growth in many sectors in Africa, expanding tourism and trade. Adding non-stop flights and frequency would enable the country to build a more connected and profitable air transport industry, according to the manufacturer.  

Beyond new market prospects, Africa presents opportunities to match aircraft capacity to market demand as well. Today most of the seat capacity on the continent comes from airplanes that hold more than 150 seats. However, passenger loads in 70 percent of regional and domestic markets average fewer than 130 on each flight, resulting in a composite load factor of just 60 percent, still far below the global average. Meanwhile, deploying large narrowbodies on thin routes results in a low number of frequencies. Almost 70 percent of intra-African routes get fewer than one flight per day.

Over the last 10 years Embraer’s presence has grown considerably in Africa, moving from a fleet of around 40 aircraft, predominantly turboprops, to more than 150 mainly jet aircraft. Embraer signed its newest African customer at the Farnborough Airshow, where Mauritania Airlines ordered two E175s in a 76-seat configuration. Plans call for deliveries to take place next year when the airline starts replacing its older narrowbodies.