Logistics

With the addition of the A350-1000, Ethiopian Airlines reaffirms its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. (Image source: Ethiopian Airlines)

Ethiopian Airlines has announced the arrival of the continent’s first Airbus A350-1000 which landed at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

Marked by a ceremony attended by government officials, ambassadors, diplomats and representatives from Airbus and Thales, the aircraft arrived from France alongside a payload of medical supplies valued at more than EU€100,000 (approx. US$107mn) donated by Aviation Sans Frontières in collaboration with Airbus.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Airbus A350-1000 to our fleet, solidifying our position as leaders in aviation technology,” remarked Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO. “This aircraft embodies cutting-edge advancements, offering superior passenger comfort, enhanced fuel efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. Together, we are pioneering a sustainable future for aviation in Africa.”

The design of the new aircraft is described as “revolutionary” by Ethiopian Airlines and features innovative aerodynamics and a carbon-fibre fuselage that is powered by the fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. These ensure a quieter, smoother journey for long-haul travelers which is aided by Thales’ AVANT Up inflight entertainment and the HBC+ connectivity system. According to Ethiopian Airlines, this will provide travellers with luxurious amenities, spacious seating, large screens, and a unique landscape camera.

"At Thales, we are proud of our long-term partnership with Ethiopian and are delighted to have our AVANT Up system flying on the first A350-1000 in Africa. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the airline and create new opportunities to bring exceptional experiences to Ethiopian and its passengers,” said Niels Steenstrup, CEO, Thales InFlyt Experience.

The new addition has been seen as a transformative moment for Ethiopian Airlines and will set new standards for the continent’s aviation sector, aligning with the airline's Vision 2035 plan. In the coming months, it will also welcome three additional A250-1000 aircrafts to further enhance its modern fleet.

This is not the only way Ethiopian Airlines has sought to revolutionise air travel across Ethiopia and Africa this year. Recently, the company signed a contract for the design and supervision of a mega airport city that will have the capacity to serve 110 million passengers per year. Click here to learn more.

BasiGo aims to deliver 1,000 electric buses in East Africa within the next three years. (Image source: BasiGo)

BasiGo, a provider of electric bus solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, has successfully secured US$42mn in new funding to help scale the electrification of public transport in sub-Saharan Africa

The new capital will support the company in its core ambition of delivering 1,000 electric buses in East Africa in the next three years. A sizeable chunk of this will be used to increase manufacturing capacity at its E-Bus assembly line in Kenya. Additional funds will also be dedicated to expanding the Pay-As-You-Drive offering to new vehicle types and to improve BasiGo’s technology platforms such as Jani.

Significant investment in electrification

The new funding for BasiGo has come from a number of different sources. Primarily, it includes a US$24mn in Series A funding and US$17.5mn in debt facilities from British International Investment (BII) and the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The equity funding round is led by Africa50 and marks the most significant investment from an African fund in an e-mobility company according to BasiGo. The equity round also features co-investments from Novastar Ventures, CFAO Kenya, Mobility54, SBI Investment, Trucks VC, Moxxi Ventures, and Susquehanna Foundation.

“Since we founded BasiGo in 2021, our mission has been to create the future of clean, electric public transport in Africa,” explained Jit Bhattacharya, CEO of BasiGo. “We are thrilled to have Africa50, a premier African infrastructure investment fund, recognise the potential of our mission. The combined equity and debt investment into BasiGo validates our business model and enables BasiGo to focus on scale and profitability. With BII's support to expand our E-bus model in Rwanda, we are ready to deliver hundreds of modern, emissions-free electric buses across East Africa.”

Raza Hasnani, managing director and head of infrastructure investments at Africa50, remarked, “We are delighted to conclude Africa50’s first investment in the e-mobility space to support the greening of the public transport sector in Kenya and Rwanda. We believe BasiGo is well positioned to scale in East Africa and beyond given its world class engineering and operations teams, strong value proposition to transport operators and the calibre of strategic and financial partners assembled by the founders.”

Electric vehicles in East Africa

BasiGo’s operations in Rwanda began in December 2023 and now consist of six pilot electric buses running inside Kigalo as well as inter-city routes to nearby towns. As per the new debt facility from BII, the company plans to launch commercial deliveries of e-buses in the country and has already received more than 300 reservations from bus operators.

“We are delighted to support BasiGo as it expands into Rwanda,” surmised Seema Dhanani, head of office, Kenya and coverage director, East Africa at BII. “This marks a significant step in electrifying the local public transport sector, reducing pollution, and combating climate change impacts. This is in line with our priority of supporting e-mobility to foster sustainable economic growth.”

e-transport solutions are becoming an increasingly attractive option in East Africa with a number of companies seeking to support this blossoming sector. Leading EV energy tech company Ampersand, for example, has just opened a large manufacturing facility in Nairobi to help meet the increasing demand for electric motorcycles in the country. Click here to learn more about this story.

The agreement reportedly represents one of the largest contracts signed by Turkish contractors abroad. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Yapi Merkezi, a Turkish contracting company with a focus on construction, has officially signed the contract to oversee the construction of the Malaba-Kampala Railway Project

Valued at around US$3bn, Yapi Merkezi will lead the design, construction and supply of rail vehicles for the 273 km railway. Meeting European and American standards and fully electrified, the project features a design speed of 120 km/h and includes two major stations, four medium stations, one marshalling yard, and three freight terminals.

According to Yapi Merkezi, the agreement represents one of the largest contracts signed by Turkish contractors abroad and will hold strategic significance for Uganda and the wider East African region.

To fulfill the contract, Yapi Merkezi will leverage its extensive expertise in railway engineering and has provided optimal engineering solutions for the project.

Elsewhere, the 800 km Zambia Lobito Rail Project received a boost with new concession agreements signed between AFC and the governments of Angola and Zambia. Click here to learn more

The appointments have been made in line with the next phase of its reimagine transformation. (Image source: JLR)

Jaguar Land Rover has announced new appointments to its executive leadership team as it aims to undergo the next phase of its development and transformation

The company has appointed Steve Marsh as the new executive director, vehicles programme. Reporting under the CEO Adrian Mardell, Marsh carries on from his previous position as director of global manufacturing operations at JLR, and brings a wealth of experience in the automotive industry having previously worked in the sector for 36 years.

“The transformation of JLR to a global modern luxury automotive manufacturer is well underway and delivering our next generation vehicles to the highest standard – across all touch points – is critical to our ongoing success,” remarked Marsh. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead JLR’s global Vehicle Programmes teams at this once-in-a-generation moment of powertrain and industrial change.”

Elsewhere, Swarna Ramanathan has been appointed chief strategy officer and will also report to Mardell. Ramanthan has been tasked with leading JLR’s strategy creation, innovation and strategic foresights, alliances & collaborations, and product & customer experience strategy teams. Similarly, Ramanathan has considerable experience and has 20 years’ growth strategy development and implementation experience, working across the automotive, consumer and energy sectors. With Ramanathan’s appointment, Andrea Debbane will continue in her role as chief sustainability officer, relinquishing her interim responsibilities for strategy, and reporting to JLR CEO, Adrian Mardell.

“As an experienced and passionate advocate for the automotive, consumer and energy sectors, and a long-term follower of JLR, I am thrilled to be appointed Chief Strategy Officer, JLR, at an important moment in JLR’s transformation to be a global modern luxury automotive leader,” Swarna Ramanathan. “I look forward to playing a leading role in the evolution of the business’s Reimagine strategy for continued success.”

A final noteworthy appointment is that of John Beswick to the role of chief transformation and performance officer. Beswick joins JLR from Great Ormand Street Hospital having previously spent two decades at BT Group in transformational change and finance leadership roles.

“I am delighted to be joining JLR as chief transformation and performance officer,” said Beswick. “Working alongside other members of the executive leadership team and colleagues across JLR, my priority will be to lead the implementation of JLR’s strategy throughout the organisation, through seamless team alignment and collaboration.”

Mardell commented, “The transformation of the automotive sector is the greatest change in our industry in a century. Ensuring we have the right leaders, with the qualities and experience to deliver our modern luxury vision in the near-, medium- and long-term will ensure JLR’s future health and prosperity. I offer my warmest congratulations to Steve, Swarna and John on their appointments.”