IATA warns of worsening COVID-19 impact on African aviation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released warns that new data indicates that the impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s aviation industry is worsening sharply.

Job losses in aviation and aviation-related industries could increase by up to 3.5 million, which is more than half of Africa’s 6.2 million aviation-related jobs. This is 400,000 more expected job losses compared to earlier expectations. IATA expects a 54 percent downfall in air traffic over full-year 2020. GDP falls could be as high as 35 billion dollars, whereas IATA earlier expected a 28 billion dollar decline.

“COVID-19 has devastated African economies and brought air connectivity across the continent to a virtual standstill. And the situation is getting worse. The economic consequences resulting from a disconnected continent are severe. Millions of jobs and livelihoods are at risk in family-run enterprises and large corporations along the entire travel and tourism value chain. For Africa’s economic recovery and future prosperity, it is essential to expedite the safe restart of the industry,” said Muhammad Al Bakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.