The International Air Transport Association (IATA) projects that African airlines are to narrow their losses to $213 million this year.
As per the association’s report, the carriers in the continent encountered a total loss of $3.5 billion from 2020 to 2022.
However, the complete recuperation of the aviation industry in the region post the COVID-19 pandemic is hindered by several factors such as infrastructure constraints, high costs, lack of connectivity, regulatory impediments, slow adoption of global standards, and skill shortages, which ultimately have an impact on the customer experience. In light of these challenges, IATA claims that African airlines’ viability and sustainability are affected.
Therefore, IATA has launched the “Focus Africa” initiative to enhance the continent’s aviation sector’s contribution to its economic and social development, while improving connectivity, safety, and reliability for passengers and shippers.
This initiative aims to bring together public and private stakeholders to achieve measurable progress in six areas.
Africa accounts for 18pc of the global population, but just 2.1pc of air transport activities (combined cargo and passenger). Closing that gap, so that Africa can benefit from the connectivity, jobs and growth that aviation enables, is what Focus Africa is all about.
Willie Walsh – IATA Director General
Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, the aviation industry contributed to the sustenance of 7.7 million employments and generated an economic activity worth $63 billion in Africa.
According to IATA, there is an anticipated triple increase in demand for the aviation sector over the next 20 years.
Read Also: Passenger Demand Recovery Continued on Track in 2022-IATA
