Page 6 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

FLAREPATH

AFRICA NEEDS TO

TAKE THE LEAD

At Kenya Airways plans are afoot to lay off between the two parties was for the com-

1, 500 employees. This will affect 33% of the mencement of operations by the airline

ar from ge�ng better the situation workforce assigned to in-flight operations, from Katsina. Meanwhile the Nigerian

Facross African Airlines is worsening. ground staff, technicians, sales and across federal Government has called for social di-

It seems the calls by the International Air workers in the freight and other departments. alogue between the employers and the em-

Transport Association for governments In a letter to the Kenya airline pilots ployees in the aviation industry to prevent
job losses. Senator Chris Ngige, minister of

to step in and offer assistance is falling association (Kalpa) KQ acting CEO Allan labour and employment, made the call in
on deaf ears. What is stopping this sector Kilavuka said the dismissal process will the context of the sacking and subsequent

from taking off? Leadership is needed in begin immediately. re-instatement of 70 pilots – who were to

this time of crisis. According to internal sources, this layoff lose their jobs with Air Peace. Minister of

Consider the statistics released recently. plan, which must be concluded by the end of aviation adi Sirika intervened and it seems

Since the last IATA assessment in April, this month will save the carrier around 600 it was all just a misunderstanding and the
traffic is now due to drop by 54% or more million shillings per month or ($5.5 million), pilots got their jobs back.

than 80 million passengers when compared or half of its wage bill, estimated at 1.2 And lastly on the SAA saga, the most
to 2019. The previous estimate was for a billion shillings. recent development is the appointment of a

decrease of 51%. Then a little nugget of good news - one of bank - Rand Merchant Bank, the investment

As a result job losses in aviation and relat- Nigeria’s domestic, regional and international banking arm of FirstRand Ltd as an adviser to

ed industries could increase to 3.5 million. airlines, Max Air has announced it will soon help the government assess offers for stakes

That is more than half of the region’s 6.2 begin direct flights to Katsina-Abuja, Katsi- in its insolvent national airline.

million aviation-related employment and na-Lagos routes and to other destinations The state is saying that it will not use its

400,000 more than the previous estimate. through connecting flights respectively. own R10billion necessary to revive the dying

IATA continues to call for a harmonised re- This was disclosed by the vice-chairman national airline and get it off the ground.

start to aviation. They and other internation- of Max Airline limited Alhaji Bishir Mangal Instead it will seek “strategic partners’ or

al aviation organisations have worked hard after a follow up meeting between the private equity backers, tapping pension

to put together some simple but effective Katsina state government and the manage- funds and global financial institutions to.

measures, health protocols – all continued ment of the airline. “The Department of Public Enterprises
in the CART document – which can easily be Max Air was supposed to start its services has identified a transaction adviser,” the

put together. What is the problem? Where is from Katsina airport on April 3 but due to ministry said in a recent statement without

the political and social will? the nationwide lockdown as a result of the identifying the firm.

The consequences are too dire to imagine Covid-19 outbreak this was suspended. “The advisers are expected to assess
but as each month passes the situation dete- An MOU signed earlier in March 2020 unsolicited expressions of interest from pri-

riorates. vate-sector funders, private-equity investors
Some African countries have begun to and partners for a future restructured SAA.”
open for international travel – Kenya, Rwan- Other reports have claimed that some

da, Tanzania, Nigeria spring to mind – albeit aircraft manufacturers have been ap-

with or without restrictions but it is not proached to provide a new fleet. The

enough. More countries need to follow suit. estimates are that 1000 of 5000 personnel

Airlines need to get their fleet off the ground will be retained once voluntary and section

and passenger confidence must be restored. 189 retrenchment packages processes are
Travel can happen in a safe and corona complete and some of these will be the
free manner. It’s all there. new staff of the airline. Q

World Airnews | August 2020
— 4 —