CPT heads for aviation mega-city status

CAPE Town is set to become one
of Africa’s aviation mega-cities.
This is according to the
recently released 2019-2038 Airbus
Global Market Forecast for Cities,
Airports and Aircraft.
The study expects a revival of
aviation growth in Africa, with the
continent expected to expand from
housing two to eight aviation megacities by 2038. The study lists
Johannesburg and Addis Ababa as
Africa’s two aviation mega-cities at
present. The additional six cities
expected to grow into aviation
mega-cities are Cape Town, Port
Louis, Nairobi, Lagos, Accra and
Casablanca.
Currently, Airbus lists 66 aviation
mega-cities in the world and reports
that over 60% of global traffic flies
to or from them, with nearly 90% of
airlines having some level of service
to these cities.
The study also predicts that
African air traffic is expected to grow
strongly over the next two decades
at 4,8% per annum, with domestic
and intra-regional traffic expected to
grow at 5,4% per year on average
over the forecast period. It expects
long-haul passenger traffic to and
from the African mega-cities to
increase from 31 500 to 180 000
passengers daily by 2038.
“A rebound in commodity prices
and rising exports are expected
to revive economic growth in the
region, together with expanding
domestic markets, growing
middle-class populations and
greater regional integration,” the
report says.
It also forecasts that
improvements to infrastructure,
greater political stability, economic
diversification, greater liberalisation
of air transport and greater visa
openness will assist the continent
with further aviation growth.
The report is optimistic about
African liberalisation of air transport,
advising that over 80% of the
existing aviation market in Africa
is represented by the 28 countries
that committed to participate in the
Single African Air Transport Market,
which was launched in 2018.