https://www.engineeringnews.co.za
Africa|Aviation|Business|Financial|Health|Sustainable|Systems|Technology|Testing|Training|transport|Operations
Africa|Aviation|Business|Financial|Health|Sustainable|Systems|Technology|Testing|Training|transport|Operations
africa|aviation|business|financial|health|sustainable|systems|technology|testing|training|transport|operations

Iata supports AU on reopening continent’s civil aviation sector

16th April 2021

By: Rebecca Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

Font size: - +

The representative body for the global airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has affirmed its support for the African Union’s (AU’s) campaign to safely restart commercial aviation across the continent. The campaign is called ‘Saving Lives, Economies and Livelihoods’ and seeks to encourage different sectors of African governments, such as health, transport and information technology Ministries and agencies, to work together to restore civil aviation operations.

During the Covid-19 pandemic crisis last year, African air passenger demand fell by 69% (compared with a 66% drop in global air passenger demand). African air passenger capacity went down by 61% (the global figure was 57%). At the depth of the crisis, African air connectivity collapsed by 90% and African airlines lost $2-billion. One area in which African airlines did less badly than the global average was in losses for each passenger flown – for African operators losses came to $49.63, whereas the global amount was $66.04.

Bright Spot There was one bright spot for African airlines last year – their air cargo volumes rose by 1%, meaning that they had high cargo revenues. But that was not enough to counter their losses in the passenger business, Iata states.

“African airlines posted a combined $2-billion loss in 2020,” highlighted Iata regional VP: Africa and the Middle East Kamil Al Awadhi. “This year we expect only a slight improvement ($1.7-billion loss) as the struggle with Covid-19 continues. Looking ahead it’s unlikely that traffic will return to [pre] Covid levels until 2023. Financial relief measures are still desperately needed, particularly those which do not increase the industry’s debt burden . . . Government relief comes in many forms. Cost reductions in terms of taxes and charges will help. And the release of the $601-million of airline revenues that are currently blocked from repatriation in certain governments would be an immediate boost in some markets.”

Regarding the safe reopening of borders, Iata made three major appeals to African governments. The first of these was to replace quarantine measures with predeparture testing requirements for international travellers. The second was to adopt the AU-recommended Covid-19 test results validity period of five days, instead of the current, widely required, three days. This was because of the limited availability of Covid-19 test facilities across the continent. The third was that African countries not require a Covid-19 vaccination as mandatory for air travel within Africa, because of the current lack of accessibility to vaccines across the continent.

In addition, African governments had to help their airlines develop operational restart plans. After a year full of lockdowns, flight crews, cabin crews and technical staff would need refresher training, while the aircraft would need technical checks. Also, governments would have to put in place digital systems to track the Covid-19 test and vaccination status of passengers, because manual systems would not be able to handle the volume when air traffic resumed.

“Governments will need a financially viable air transport sector to energise economic recovery from Covid-19,” he affirmed. “Many of Africa’s airlines were weak even before the crisis. Reducing costs and freeing blocked cash has long been a priority for African aviation. If ever there was a time for decisive government action on these issues, it is now.”

In a separate development, on April 1, former International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh became Iata’s eighth director-general, succeeding Alexandre de Juniac. Iata is the representative body of the global airline industry. Walsh was elected to the post at Iata’s seventy-sixth annual general meeting, in November. Walsh started his career as a cadet pilot with Irish national flag carrier Aer Lingus in 1979. He was CEO of Aer Lingus from 2001 to 2005, and then CEO of British Airways (2005 to 2011) before becoming the first CEO of IAG in 2011. He retired from IAG last September.

Critical Work

“I am passionate about our industry and about the critical work that Iata does on behalf of its members, never more so than during the Covid-19 crisis,” he affirmed. “My goal is to ensure that Iata is a forceful voice supporting the success of global air transport. We will work with supporters and critics alike to deliver on our commitments to an environmentally sustainable airline industry. It’s my job to make sure that governments, which rely on the economic and social benefits our industry generates, also understand the policies we need to deliver those benefits.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

SMS group
SMS group

At SMS group, we have made it our mission to create a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry.

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Multotec
Multotec

Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.07 0.121s - 139pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now