Market Intelligence: Africa

World’s Largest ACMI Provider and Aviation Conglomerate Avia Solutions Group Records 26% Revenue Growth in Q1 2024

Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) services and owner of global pilot training group BAA Training, announced its financial performance results for Q1 2024. The Group’s revenue grew by 26%, reaching €508.8 million. The growth was primarily driven by a significant increase in passenger flight volumes – the Group’s revenue from passenger aircraft ACMI services grew 2.3-fold, reaching €216 million.

The Group’s EBITDA stood at €11.9 million, while its net losses comprised €97.5 million, meeting the overall expectations for Q1. These results were mostly due to investment into fleet capacity and crew, in preparation for a record-breaking summer season, as well as to strategic expansion in new markets.

During the first quarter of this year, the Group expanded its fleet with 13 new aircraft, bringing the total to 171 passenger and 42 cargo aircraft. Even though, in the aviation industry, the first quarter of any given year is typically considered not as profitable, the Group’s entire fleet, which today encompasses 213 aircraft, has already been leased to major European and international airlines, including Lufthansa Group, Turkish Airlines, Wizz Air, TUI, IndiGo, among others.

“We are now fully prepared for the summer season, which we expect to break all previous records. The Group’s aviation services infrastructure and global scale give us a significant competitive advantage and the status of industry leaders,” said Jonas Janukenas, CEO of Avia Solutions Group.

Avia Solutions Group is consistently implementing its expansion strategy in Asia, Asia-Pacific, and South America, which enables it to efficiently manage seasonality in Europe by shifting aircraft from one region to another. Early in Q1 2024, the Group acquired the Australian airline Skytrans, and is planning to establish ACMI airlines in Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia later this year.

Based in Ireland, Avia Solutions Group operates in 68 countries around the world, and has offices in Lithuania, New York, Dubai, Dublin, and other cities around the globe. The Group consists of 100+ companies providing a wide range of aviation services like aircraft maintenance and repair (MRO), pilot and crew training, ground handling, and more. The Group’s team encompasses 12,000 highly qualified aviation professionals.

Source: Avia Solutions Group

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Africa Based Full Flight Simulator Training Center Caverton Aviation Training Center Unveils New AW109 Simulator at African Airforces Forum

Lagos, Nigeria based full flight simulator training center and pilot training organisation Caverton Aviation Training Center (CATC) unveiled its new Leonardo AW109 FNPT II MCC / FTD Level 5 Simulator at the 3rd African Airforces Forum.

During his presentation, Caverton Group COO Mr. Rotimi Makanjuola emphasized the importance of this development. He pointed out that with the increasing number of AW109 helicopters being operated by the airforce and the growing need for skilled manpower, the timing for partnering with the Caverton Aviation Training Center is ideal.

The center, already renowned as Africa’s foremost EASA-qualified Reality H Level D Full Flight Simulator operator for the AW139 device, now also operates the AW109 simulator, marking a significant advancement in pilot training capabilities on the continent.

Source: Caverton Aviation Training Center
Photo Credit: Caverton Aviation Training Center

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Global Pilot Training Group Airways Aviation Expands Reach with Launch of Training Center in Morocco in June 2024

Global flight training group Airways Aviation, which operates pilot training academies across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and India proudly announces the opening of Airways Aviation Maroc in the upcoming month of June 2024. Its France base ESMA Airways Aviation, which boasts a 45-year history in pilot training, is launching a Pilot Foundation Program in Casablanca, Morocco. This initiative, the first of its kind in North Africa, marks a significant milestone in global aviation education and is projected to start on June 10, 2024, at La Capital Centre on Boulevard Abdelmoumen, one of the main arteries of the city.

ESMA Airways Aviation – France is one of only three European pilot training academies approved by Royal Air Maroc (RAM), having trained hundreds of Moroccan pilots over the years.

The bespoke Foundation Program is designed to assess, select, and equip aspiring aviation students at the early stages of earning their EASA Air Transport Pilot License. It addresses the critical need for well-trained pilots, anticipated due to independent forecasts of a severe pilot shortage and growing accessibility of air travel including Morocco’s middle class expands globally and air travel becomes more accessible to the masses.

Students will benefit from a curriculum developed and delivered by industry professionals that provides a comprehensive introduction to both the theoretical and practical aspects of aviation. The program aims to prepare students thoroughly before they advance to commercial theory and full flight training phases at the ESMA Airways Aviation Academy in Montpellier, France.

In addition to pilot training, ESMA Airways Aviation also offers a path to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in collaboration with Montpellier Business School, providing dual qualifications—an EASA fATPL and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business—upon completion of studies in France.

“Morocco is a strategic location that bridges Africa and Europe and plays a pivotal role in socio-economic development of the country. We are excited to be able to help start and participate in the journey create the next generation of aviation professionals from Casablanca. We see opening here as an investment into the future of aviation in Morocco,” said Romy Hawatt, Founder & Chairman of the ESMA Airways Aviation Group.

Alexandre Alves, CCO and COO of the ESMA Airways Aviation Group, emphasized the global perspective: “We believe that our unique Foundation program will set a new standard in supporting aviation training from grass roots through to the professional level and help address the urgent global need for qualified Pilots, Cabin Crew and other aviation professionals.”

About Airways Aviation

With over 45 years of international experience and educational sites across Europe, the Middle East, and Australia, Dubai-headquartered Airways Aviation is recognized as the largest privately-owned multidisciplinary aviation academy globally. Our comprehensive education and training programs combine practical and theoretical techniques to meet the increasing demand for skilled aviation professionals certified by EASA, CASA, ICAO, and IATA.

The Airways Aviation Group has trained over 9,000 commercial pilots and graduated more than 25,000 cabin crew, ground handling, and maintenance professionals. It also maintains a diverse fleet of over 70 aircraft, including Europe’s largest fleet of Diamond DA40 and Diamond DA42, along with various Cessna and Piper models equipped with advanced avionic systems.

Source: Airways Aviation
Photo Credit: Airways Aviation (shown as meta image)

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Africa Based Full Flight Simulator Training Center Caverton Aviation Training Center Showcases Training Solutions at 3rd African Airforces Forum

Lagos, Nigeria based full flight simulator training center and pilot training organisation Caverton Aviation Training Center (CATC), which operates an EASA certified Level D AW139 Full Flight Simulator had a significant presence at the 3rd African Airforces Forum, which took place at the International Conference Center (ICC) in Abuja, Nigeria, from May 22 to 23, 2024. In December 2023 CATC installed a new Leonardo AW109 FNPT II MCC/FTD (Level5).

Source: Caverton Aviation Training Center
Photo Credit: Caverton Aviation Training Center

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Training Aircraft Manufacturer Blackshape Aircraft Announces Dealer for MENA in 2024

Italy headquartered Blackshape Aircraft is pleased to appoint OpenSky World as its dealer and commercial channel for several North African and Middle Eastern Countries. Effective from May 23, 2024. OpenSky World will provide comprehensive and effective sales and maintenance support across these regions.

This partnership is part of Blackshape’s strategic international business development initiative. OpenSky World, with its rich history and international experience in Airlines’ Representative, brokerage and aircraft sales and acquisitions, boasts a robust local and global business network. The Company is renowned for delivering exceptional customer service, helping clients maximize the value of their aviation assets.

OpenSky World, having its headquarters in Bologna, Italy, will represent Blackshape serving as a starting point for a comprehensive sales network in Africa and the Middle East.

Source: Blackshape
Photo Credit: Blackshape

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World’s Largest ACMI Provider and Aviation Conglomerate Avia Solutions Group Records 2023 EBITDA of EUR 392 Million

Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI provider (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) services and owner of global pilot training group BAA Training, announced its audited financial results for 2023, reporting a net profit increase of 5.5 times to EUR 68.2 million, adjusted EBITDA up by 36% to EUR 392 million, and revenues rising by 22% to EUR 2.3 billion. The company generated the most revenue in Europe (67%), Asia (20%), and North and South America (6%).

Last year, the Group continued to invest in its fleet, expanding it by 27 aircraft to a total of 200, including 159 passenger and 41 cargo aircraft by the end of the year.

In 2023, the Group’s revenues from passenger aircraft ACMI services increased by 53%, reaching EUR 950 million. According to Jonas Janukenas, CEO of Avia Solutions Group, the significant increase in volumes indicates that many of the world’s leading airlines view ACMI services as an integral part of their operations, helping to manage their fleets more efficiently. The situation in the passenger aircraft market ensures that the Group will maintain high growth rates in the future.

Last year, Avia Solutions Group continued its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, starting operations with BBN Airlines Indonesia and acquiring the Australian airline Skytrans at the beginning of 2024. By the end of 2024, the company plans to establish four more ACMI airlines in Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The company is preparing to further expand its aircraft fleet and maintain leading positions in the ACMI segment, where it sees a significant market need. The company’s infrastructure in Asia and the Pacific region, as well as in the Americas, will allow it to effectively manage the challenges of seasonality in aviation by shifting aircraft from one region to another.

“The Group will utilise aircraft in Europe during the summer peak season, and during the winter, the planes will be relocated to regions with opposite seasonality. This will allow us to maximise the capabilities of our aircraft fleet, and our clients, the world’s leading airlines, will receive aircraft during the peak seasonal periods,” states J. Janukenas.

The American market is also a priority for the company. Recently, the company signed a cooperation agreement with Impact Investments LLC, whose executive chairman is the former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The company will provide strategic development consulting to the Group.

Avia Solutions Group, based in Ireland, has offices in Ireland, the USA, the UAE, Lithuania, Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, and South Africa. The Group owns globally operating airline companies such as SmartLynx Airlines, Avion Express, AirExplore, KlasJet, and Magma Aviation. It also manages the aircraft maintenance and repair services (MRO) company FL Technics, which has aircraft technical maintenance and repair hangars in Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania, along with 100 operational maintenance stations in various countries. Among the Group’s companies is the largest independent pilot training center, BAA Training, with pilot schools in Spain, France, Lithuania, and Vietnam.

The Avia Solutions Group team comprises over 11,700 highly qualified aviation professionals worldwide.

Source: Avia Solutions Group
Photo Credit: Avia Solutions Group

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