Iata Urges African Governments To Provide Relief To Industry

MUHAMMAD ALBAKIRI

THE latest review of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) indicates a more than 90% average drop in air traffic in Africa’s five largest markets.

Africa’s air transport industry is set to face another grim year with delays to the region’s economic recovery and further job losses, unless the continent’s governments urgently provide emergency relief to the entire sector.

They need to establish and safeguard a vaccine distribution network, unblock the flow of pledged financial support and systematically implement common Covid-19 testing instead of unnecessary and confusing measures that deter air travel, trade and tourism.

The latest review of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) indicates a more than 90% average drop in air traffic in Africa’s five largest markets (SA, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia and Algeria) due to the pandemic, its associated travel restrictions and accompanying economic devastation. Measured by supply, demand and profitability, Africa, which had previously