Page 24 - World Airnews Magazine July Edition 2020

GENERAL
AVIATION

PRIVATE AIRLINES HARD HIT

By Kaleyesus Bekele

resident of the Ethiopian Private
PAirlines Associati on Abera Lemi said
that most of the private airlines in Ethiopia
ceased operation in March following the

outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abera, who is also owner and CEO of Na-

tional Airways, said that the private airlines

mostly provide chartered flight services for
tourists and VIPs.

“We fly tourists and operate VIP flights

for corporate executives. In the wake of the

outbreak, the tourist flow came to a stand- to various reasons. The environment does “We are still paying salaries to our

still long before the first confirmed case in not encourage private investment in the employees but we have reached to a point

Ethiopia was reported,” Abera said. aviation sector,” Abera said. where we can no more afford to cover our

“Company executives are not also flying Abera said despite all the challenges fixed costs,” Abera said.
so most of the private airlines in Ethio- the private airlines are providing charter As a result the Ethiopian Private Airlines

pia have ceased operations beginning of flight services to tourists coming to the Association has asked the Ministry of

March. If we take our company National country and contribute to the develop- Finance for financial assistance in the form

Airways, we had contract with an oil ment of the travel and tourism industry of a loan to cover the member airlines’ six-

company in South Sudan but that was in Ethiopia. month operational costs.
suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We compliment what Ethiopian Airlines “We are now seeking assistance to stay

We were also working with Air Djibouti and is doing. We take tourists to remote areas afloat and pass this challenging time. So

that was also suspended,” he said. where Ethiopian Airlines does not fly. We that we would be able to resume operation

According to Abera, unlike many other fly VIPs to regional towns and remote once the COVID-19 ends. We are asking the
African countries, the general aviation in areas. So we play our role in the economic government to help us out like they did to

Ethiopia is not well developed. development of the country,” Abera said. the hotel and tourism sector. Because we

“The general aviation got little or no sup- Due to the adverse impacts of the are also part of that industry,” Abera said.

port from the government in the past. The COVID-19, most of the private airlines The association believes that the govern-

banking sector does not provide loans to halted operations. Abera said that since the ment would consider their request and give

the private airlines because there is lack of private airlines do not have a strong finan- them a positive response. Q

awareness on the role of general aviation. cial position even before the outbreak, the Article courtesy: https://www.

We have a successful national carrier but negative impact of the COVID-19 has had a thereporterethiopia.com/article/

the general aviation is at its infancy due devastating impact on general aviation. private-airlines-hard-hit-covid-19

NEWS
141 PLANES BACK IN SERVICE
Airlines Holdings Inc. to increase flights throughout the summer as demand

in July show that customers are starting rises, the airline said.

merican airlines group will to return, at least for domestic travel. The Atlanta-based carrier also will add

Atake 141 aircraft from storage While demand remains weak by histor- planes as flights become more crowded

to support an increase in July service as ical standards, the trend suggests that and approach caps on seating that are
travellers return to the skies faster than the worst has passed. Bookings have designed to help prevent the virus’s
expected amid the corona virus pandemic. focused on leisure travel, with routes spread. Delta, which has said it, would

added primarily to beach destinations,

The carrier will re-activate 83 Airbus mountain states and cities with amuse- operate twice as many domestic flights

A320 family planes and 58 Boeing 737 ment parks. in July as in May, declined to specify how

many aircraft it will remove from storage.
jets, spokesman Brian Metham said. American had parked as many as 435
American joins Delta Air Lines Inc. in aircraft and permanently retired more United is restoring 140 nonstop US

bringing back aircraft that had been parked than 100 planes from its fleet. Its busiest and Canada routes in July. Domestic ca-

pacity will be 30% of what it was a year
as service was slashed when the spread of days in July will have about 4,000 flights,

corona virus and related travel restrictions up from 2,300 in June the Fort Worth, earlier, up from 13% in June. United and

nearly wiped out demand in April. Texas-based carrier said last week. American is restoring some internation-
al service, as well, but levels remain well
Moves by American, Delta and United Delta will return aircraft to its fleet below where they were last year. Q

World Airnews | July 2020
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