0Tiri MasawiWindhoek – Airlines in Southern Africa have seen revenue plunging 60 percent and passenger statistics tumbling 58 percent in the four since most countries in the region went into lockdown as a new coronavirus control measure. For a sector that even in the best of times has struggled to break even, prospects are particularly grim for African aviation which has for long braved high taxes and landing fees, costly imported fuel, and limited intra-continental business. According to IATA, it is not only Southern African aviation that has been pummelled. Airlines in East Africa have lost 56 percent of flight revenue and 53 percent of passengers. IATA vice-president (Africa and the Middle East) Muhamad Albakri recently told CNBC Africa that: “We don’t expect most Airlines in Africa to survive such kind of loses as we are experiencing.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 17, 2020 09:44 UTC