Market Intelligence: Africa

Global Pilot Training Group announces first E-Flight in Africa

The first E-Aircraft has taken its inaugural proving flight at 43 Air School, South Africa!

Laying the groundwork for zero-emission in African Aviation and Training, 43 Air school (Pty) Ltd a well-known and leading South African Flight School flew the first fully Electric Aircraft on African Soil on 16/3/2022, thereby demonstrating the arrival of electric flight technology in Aviation.

“As we know the path in this journey was long, but it is now well underway, and the African Aviation industry is no exception. Indeed, a milestone day for Aviation in South Africa and Arica as our work in laying the foundations in electric flight bodes well for the future of Aviation Training and industry-wide adoption and regulatory acceptance of alternative-propulsion in commercial aircraft and urban air vehicles” says CEO of 43 Air school- Attie Niemann. “This proves that electric aviation has arrived and can work in Aviation Training and with some more development in wider commercial applications.”

The first of hopefully many electric flights took place at 43 Air school with a Pipistrel Alpha Electro- one of the best and most advanced designed & produced electric aircraft in the world. The Aircraft type and its Manufacturer is the holder of the “Design Organization and Production Approval” certificate issued by the European aviation agency EASA.

At the moment, Pipistrel Aircraft can rightfully claim the title of the world’s leading company for the design and manufacture of innovative electric and hybrid-powered aircraft. This technology would mean significant cost savings for training and leisure flying and zero emissions. “Our goal is to actually electrify a good proportion of the fleet, in years to come, and on top of fuel efficiency, the company would save millions in maintenance costs because electric motors require “drastically” less maintenance. When this technology takes off with other operators, he said: “It could set a trend for more environmentally friendly and affordable flying. An aircraft like this one flown’ s running cost is a significant saving on conventional combustion and due to the lithium battery powering it we can safely fly for approximately an hour with reserves, which is sufficient for the majority of training flights it’s intended for. The Aircraft is super quiet and very efficient and powerful for its size and lovely to fly and also the batteries and electric motors will eventually be developed to power longer flights’. While the world waits for wider application of e-flight, he said cheaper short-haul flights powered by electricity could transform the way people connect and where they work.

For more information, kindly contact 43 Air School.

You may also check our Terms and Conditions for our Content Policy.

Related Posts

Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines Sign Memorandum of Understanding for 5 New 777-8 Freighter

Boeing and its longstanding customer Ethiopian Airlines, on March 04, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intent to purchase five 777-8 Freighters, the industry’s newest, most capable and most fuel-efficient twin-engine freighter.

The MoU to order the 777-8 Freighter will enable Ethiopian Airlines to meet expanding global cargo demand from its hub in Addis Ababa and position the carrier for long-term sustainable growth.

“Consistent with our history of aviation technology leadership in Africa, we are pleased to sign this MoU with our longstanding partner Boeing, which will make us join select group of launch customer airlines for the fleet. In our vision 2035, we are planning to expand our Cargo and Logistics business to be one of the largest global multimodal logistics provider in all continents. To this effect we are increasing our dedicated freighter fleet with the latest technology, fuel efficient and environment-friendly airplanes of the 21st century. We have also started the construction of the largest E-commerce Hub Terminal in Africa,” said Ethiopian Airlines’ Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam. “The new 777-8 Freighters will be instrumental in this long journey of growth agenda. Today, our air cargo services cover more than 120 international destinations around the world with both belly-hold capacity and dedicated freighter services.”

Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January and has already booked 34 firm orders for the model, which features the advanced technology from the new 777X family and proven performance of the market-leading 777 Freighter. With payload capacity nearly identical to the 747-400 Freighter and a 30% improvement in fuel efficiency, emissions and operating costs, the 777-8 Freighter will enable a more sustainable and profitable business for operators.

“Ethiopian Airlines has been at the forefront of Africa’s cargo market for decades, growing its fleet of Boeing freighters and connecting the continent to the flow of global commerce,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “The intent to purchase the new 777-8 Freighter further underscores the value of our latest airplane and ensures Ethiopian will remain a key player in global cargo, providing it with increased capacity, flexibility and efficiency for the future.”

Ethiopian Airlines currently operates nine 777 Freighters, connecting Africa with more than 40 cargo centers throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Americas. The carrier’s fleet also includes three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters and a combined commercial fleet of more than 80 Boeing jets including 737s, 767s, 787s and 777s.

Source: Boeing Press Release

For more information, kindly contact Boeing or Ethiopian Airlines.

You may also check our Terms and Conditions for our Content Policy.

Related Posts

South African Flight School is looking for an Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer

Chinese owned, South Africa based Flight School AIFA (AVIC International Flight Training Academy) is looking for an Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer (AFISO).

Qualifications;

  • Hold a valid Air traffic Service Licence
  • AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service) rated
  • Valid aviation medical

For more information and the specific JD, kindly contact AIFA.

You may also check our Terms and Conditions for our Content Policy.

Related Posts

SIMAERO ATR 42/72 Full Flight Simulator now EASA certified in South Africa

SIMAERO proudly announces the EASA certification of its Full Flight Simulator ATR 42/72 located in its Johannesburg Training Centre, South Africa.

This full flight Simulator is convertible for 3 versions of the ATR aircraft: ATR 72-200 (EASA Level C), ATR 72-500 (EASA Level D) and ATR 42-300 (EASA Level C). The Simulator is further certified by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) for each of the 3 configuration, as well as ATR 42-500. The two certifications allow the ATR 42/72 full flight simulator to be used for advanced pilot training for ATR aircraft operators worldwide.

Capt. Olivier Bourgogne, Fleet Manager/Fleet Training Manager ATR of Air Mauritius, was among the first clients to evaluate the simulator for his airline needs. He confirmed that the ATR simulator and SIMAERO Johannesburg facility meet their requirement for training.

The addition of the EASA certification is a significant milestone in SIMAERO’s strategy to offer clients a truly global product. The SIMAERO customers are able to choose the EASA or SACAA approved Type Rating Program as well as Recurrent and Type Differences Training Programs.

“SIMAERO has significantly enlarged its fleet of full flight simulators for the ATR types. We are a truly global provider of ATR training solutions for five ATR aircraft types, including the newest ATR 72-600 in our Paris Training Centre. Our acquisition and certification of the simulator based in Johannesburg proves our commitment to the development of the African aviation industry.” – comments Nicolas Mouté, CEO of SIMAERO.

SIMAERO is a global independent provider of flight simulator capacity, flight crew training, simulator leasing services, engineering, maintenance and consultancy to commercial airlines and simulator operators, with presence in France, South Africa and China. With 17 simulators in operation across its international network, SIMAERO  provides a comprehensive range of training solutions for Airbus A220, A320, A330, A340, A350; Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, 787; ATR 500, 600; ERJ 145; Beech 1900; Dash 8; MD80/82; Fokker 100. SIMAERO Training Organization for pilots is certified by EASA and has further been certified by many other civil aviation authorities’ qualifications including South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Nepal, Malaysia, Ivory Coast and many others.

Source: Texts are excerpted from SIMAERO Press Release

For more information, kindly contact SIMAERO.

You may also check our Terms and Conditions for our Content Policy.

Related Posts