AfBAA Expo demonstrates a sustainable future for African Business Aviation

Delegates visiting the AfBAA Expo pavilion debated and discussed the growing industry with representatives of the African Business Aviation Association and the associated exhibitors. 

During the opening address Tarek Ragheb, founding chairman of the association announced the inception of a new AfBAA initiative that has resulted in a fund valued at $250 million, with a potential to grow to US$500 million. Underwritten by an undisclosed export agency the funding will be used solely for financing aircraft within Africa. Ragheb explained that the fund had been initiated in response to the continual financing challenges experienced by operators and OEMs in Africa. This was highlighted at the AfBAA Symposium held in September 2013.

AfBAA took up the challenge and within nine months has successfully created a fund that aims to support continued growth and development of the Business Aviation market at a time when securing finances is still a barrier for aircraft acquisition in many countries. Further details of the fund will be announced at Europe’s premier business aviation event, the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, EBACE in Geneva beginning May 22nd this year. 

The show was supported by a range of companies and OEMS Beechcraft, Cessna, Dassault, Embraer, and Gulfstream displayed a total of fourteen aircraft on the static. Embraer chose the venue to make the world debut of its Legacy experimental aircraft equipped with its full interior cabin. This was displayed alongside its Lineage 1000E (debuting for the first time in Africa), Legacy 650 and Phenom 300. Peter Griffith, vice president sales and marketing, Europe, CIS and Africa commented said: “Africa is an important region for us and as a Founding Member it is important we support initiatives such as the AfBAA Expo. It has also given us a chance to showcase the latest version of the Legacy 500 which demonstrates the significance of the region to us.”