Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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Rotortrade has released its Market Analysis for Africa 2024-2025, which highlights growth opportunities in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, as well as growing interest in the region for preowned helicopters from Western manufacturers.
“Africa’s helicopter market is nuanced and highly localized,” said Aurélien Blanc, Rotortrade’s head of region for APAC, the Middle East, and Africa. “Success here requires more than competitive aircraft—it demands presence, patience, and the ability to adapt to local business practices. You can’t do it from the outside; you need to invest time on the ground.”
Thus, Rotortrade plans to add offices in Africa. “You have to be here,” he said. “You can’t do it from the outside and impose your way of doing business. There’s an African way.”
The fleet in Africa includes 1,076 turbine and 480 piston helicopters. Bell and Airbus Helicopters each have about a 35% share of the turbine fleet, followed by Leonardo, 20.7%; Sikorsky, 4%; and Robinson, 3.9%. On the piston side, Robinson Helicopter dominates at a 91.7% market share, trailed by Schweizer, 6.5%, and Enstrom, 1.9%.
The trend towards buying preowned Western helicopters is largely due to “the move away from Russian-built platforms by large humanitarian agencies,” Rotortrade said. “However, the transition has been slowed by cuts in U.S. funding, which have decelerated fleet replacement initiatives and kept the reliance higher on older Western platforms like the Bell 412.”

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The total fleet in Africa includes 1,076 turbine and 480 piston helicopters. Bell and Airbus Helicopters have about the same share of the turbine fleet. 

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