The International Air Transport Association (IATA) a global trade group representing the world’s airlines is calling for additional aid to be given to airlines in Africa or will see billions of dollars lost and millions of jobs erased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 worldwide.
The region’s airlines could lose US$6 billion of passenger revenue compared to 2019. That is US$2 billion more than was expected at the beginning of April. Job losses in aviation and related industries could grow to 3.1 million. That is half of the region’s 6.2 million aviation-related employment and more than the previous estimate of 2 million. Full-year 2020 traffic is expected to plummet by 51 percent compared to 2019 compared to the previous estimate of 32 percent. GDP supported by aviation in the region could fall by US$28 billion from US$56 billion compared to a previous estimate of a US$17.8 billion decline. These estimates are based on a scenario of severe travel restrictions lasting for three months, with a gradual lifting of restrictions in domestic markets, followed by regional and intercontinental.
