Africa’s aviation sector was recovering strongly from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Southern Africa was lagging significantly behind the continent’s other three IATA subregions (East Africa, North Africa and West Africa).
This was pointed out by International Air Transport Association (IATA) regional VP: Africa and Middle East Kamil Alwadhi in his address to the recent Aviation Africa 2022 summit in Kigali, Rwanda. (IATA is the representative body for the global airline industry.)
The African airline sector as a whole was “now” operating at 74.6% of its pre-Covid-19 levels, he noted. In July, its passenger traffic had amounted to 73.8% of what it had carried in July 2019 (during the last pre-Covid year). For summit host nation Rwanda, air passenger traffic in July this year was 106% of its level in July 2019.
With regard to air passenger capacity, as distinct from air passenger traffic, that in East Africa during July this year was 93.4% of its level in July 2019. He described this as a “robust recovery”. In North Africa, capacity was some 6.9% below the figure for 2019. Meanwhile, in West Africa, capacity was actually greater than in 2019, by more than 8.7%. These figures all indicated that air travel demand in these regions had returned.
“It is quite different in Southern Africa, where traffic remains over 36.5% lower than before the pandemic,” he highlighted, “although the reduced capacity can be attributed to three airlines having gone out of business, one suspending its operations and what was the subregion’s largest shrinking its fleet, network and schedule by more than 80%.”
He called on Africa’s governments and industry to closely work together to promote a harmonised air transport agenda. Certain African governments had to stop blocking the repatriation of airline funds (as of the end of June, 12 African countries were blocking a total of $1.3-billion), as this hurt the airlines and endangered those countries’ air connectivity.
“Airlines and tourism should not be treated as easy targets for taxes, levies and imposts, without some of the money being spent on upgrading and expanding national aviation infrastructures. “The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Single African Air Transport Market were the best means to achieve social and economic sustainability in Africa. And aviation safety was paramount; “[it] is our main priority,” he affirmed.
“Connectivity is precious,” stressed Alwadhi. “The crisis has demonstrated that everybody suffers when aviation stops. Covid-19 has dispelled the myth that flying only benefits the rich. A financially viable air transport sector supports jobs and must be a driving force for Africa’s economic recovery from Covid-19.”