In this exclusive interview, recorded at the African Aviation Summit in Kigali, Embraer’s Theo Wensink, Head of Airline Marketing – MEA, joins African Pilot Editor Phillippa Dean to discuss the recently published Connecting Africa Report: Unlocking Africa’s Intra-Regional Connectivity Potential, which he authored. The conversation provides data-driven insights into untapped route potential, demand stimulation curves, hub development strategies, and the increasing importance of rightsizing aircraft to enhance profitability across the African aviation sector.
Theo explains that through the analysis of ten years of route development data, 45 potentially viable new point-to-point routes were identified across the continent. He also outlines why smaller narrow-body aircraft, such as those in the E-Jet family, are better suited to Africa’s evolving needs. The discussion further touches on expected fleet growth, the role of both new and pre-owned aircraft, and Africa’s forecast 4 to 5 percent passenger growth rate, driven by population dynamics and emerging middle-class travel demand.
Theo explains that through the analysis of ten years of route development data, 45 potentially viable new point-to-point routes were identified across the continent. He also outlines why smaller narrow-body aircraft, such as those in the E-Jet family, are better suited to Africa’s evolving needs. The discussion further touches on expected fleet growth, the role of both new and pre-owned aircraft, and Africa’s forecast 4 to 5 percent passenger growth rate, driven by population dynamics and emerging middle-class travel demand.
