A projected $140 billion demand for aviation services by 2045 is set to create new investment opportunities across aircraft maintenance, airport infrastructure, air navigation, training and other segments of Africa’s aviation industry as airlines prepare for a major expansion in fleet size.
Boeing’s 2026 Commercial Market Outlook, cited by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), projects Africa’s commercial fleet will increase from 755 aircraft in 2025 to 1,625 by 2045, requiring 1,165 new aircraft over the period.
The expansion is also expected to create demand for about 75,000 additional aviation professionals, comprising 22,000 pilots, 25,000 technicians and 28,000 cabin crew.
Boeing estimates the value of aviation services required to support the growth at approximately $140 billion, pointing to a significant investment opportunity across aircraft maintenance, training, air navigation, airport services and other segments of the aviation value chain.
The industry’s growth is being considered against a wider push for safer, more efficient and sustainable air transport.
The 61st Conference of Directors General of Civil Aviation for the Asia and Pacific Region, organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and taking place in Kuala Lumpur from September 7 to 11, is addressing issues including aviation safety, air navigation, economic development, environmental protection and capacity development.
The conference is also examining emerging aviation technologies, including artificial intelligence and advanced air mobility, and the need for regulatory and safety frameworks capable of supporting their deployment.
AFRAA’s 2025 annual report identifies safety, operational efficiency and sustainable air transport among its major priorities, while the association has continued to highlight blocked airline funds as a constraint affecting carriers in parts of the continent.
The industry is therefore looking beyond physical infrastructure for ways to absorb future growth more efficiently.
One example is Free Route Airspace, which AFRAA said has been operational across West and Central Africa since October 2024. The initiative allows aircraft to take more direct routes through designated airspace, reducing flight times, fuel consumption, operating costs and carbon emissions.
Such measures could become increasingly important as airlines add aircraft and frequencies, allowing existing infrastructure and airspace capacity to support more traffic without equivalent increases in operating costs.
The projected requirement for an additional 75,000 aviation professionals represents another major challenge for African aviation.
Of the total, Boeing estimates that the continent will require 22,000 additional pilots, 25,000 technicians and 28,000 cabin crew by 2045.
The workforce requirement places training and certification capacity alongside airport and fleet investment as a critical component of the continent’s aviation expansion.
Nigeria provides an indication of the existing scale of the regional aviation market. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority lists approximately 31 airports, 92 airstrips and 131 heliports, alongside 13 scheduled commercial air transport operators.
The regulator also lists 554 licensed pilots, 913 licensed engineers and 1,700 cabin personnel, highlighting the human-capital base from which further expansion will have to be built.
The continent’s aviation expansion is also taking place as airlines and governments face growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of air transport.
Nigeria has begun work in this area, receiving its first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) feasibility study under the ICAO ACT-SAF programme on July 20.
The handover also marked the launch of Nigeria’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Implementation Programme and the commencement of an ICAO Business Implementation Study.
The study identified potential opportunities for SAF production, including co-processing at the Dangote Refinery and an Alcohol-to-Jet facility using cassava residues. More than 50 national stakeholders contributed to the study.
