Airbus names Gabriel Semelas to lead its Middle East and Africa business

Toulouse: Airbus has named Gabriel Semelas as President of Airbus in Africa and the Middle East, effective January 1, 2025. On Tuesday, the French aircraft manufacturer said that Semelas brings more than 24 years of experience in the aeronautical industry, having held key senior executive roles.

Semelas returns to Airbus from his current position as chief commercial and financial officer at Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH in Germany. Before that, he led the contracts team for Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business in Africa and the Middle East.

Wouter Van Wersch, executive vice president of International at Airbus, said, “Gabriel’s extensive background in the aeronautical industry, coupled with his proven leadership skills, makes him the ideal candidate to lead Airbus’ operations in Africa and the Middle East. We are confident that we will continue strengthening our presence and partnerships in this strategically important region under his leadership.”
In his new role, Semelas will oversee the OEM’s operations across all the company’s African and Middle East divisions. “I am honoured to take on this responsibility at such a pivotal time for Airbus in Africa and the Middle East. I look forward to working with our talented teams and partners to drive growth and innovation in this dynamic market,” said Semelas.
He succeeds Mikail Houari, who has played a crucial role in expanding Airbus’ regional footprint over the past years.

Airbus employs over 3,300 people in this region, actively sourcing supplies and components from local companies and providing technical support to its partners.
The Middle East remains a crucial area for Airbus’s strategic development. According to Airbus’ March 2024 Global Services Forecast (GSF), issued March this year, the Middle East’s commercial aircraft services market will more than double in value by 2042.

According to the report, Airbus has estimated 3,120 new passenger and freight aircraft deliveries over the next 20 years. The rise in annual air traffic will drive the demand for commercial jets to increase by 4.6 per cent in the Middle East.

In July, the world’s largest planemaker issued a profit warning and lowered its target for jet deliveries by 30 units to 770 aircraft, blaming supply-chain problems with items including engines and cabin interiors and, notably, LEAP delays.