Page 32 - World Airnews Magazine December 2020

AASA
MORE COLLABORATION
IS NEEDED
Through a virtual online
Zoom platform AASA CEO
Chris Zweigenthal gave
his industry address for
the 50th annual general
meeting. Here is his speech
entitled “An extraordinary
year for the Southern
African Aviation Industry”
(ICAO) and International Air Transport
Association (IATA) and support their
hat a truly devastating year initiatives in
W2020 has turned out to be! the region.
Before I address you on the state of Airlines are not alone in facing the
our industry, please join me in a moment present crisis. Our industry partners,
of silent reflection as we remember including infrastructure and other service
colleagues, friends and loved ones who providers and safety regulators have
have succumbed to COVID-19 or are griev- been equally affected. Over the past
ing, and also to pray for full and speedy seven months the constructive work-
recoveries for those who are currently ing relationships AASA has forged over
infected or who are suffering the physical decades with all of its industry partners
effects and emotional distress brought on and stakeholders, has proven invaluable
by COVID-19 and the crisis it has wrought and we have been able to find common
upon our industry, our economies and our ground and solutions on most of the
communities. issues that we usually and routinely need
As many of you know, even in times to address to ensure that air transport in
of the worst crisis, the AASA Annual our region is safe, efficient, viable, acces-
General Assembly has always been an sible and affordable.
occasion to look forward to, as an event A comprehensive report on these activ-
where competitors and friends could ities is contained in the annual report and
my AGM notes which follow as the second
travel away together to wrestle with the
common issues of the day in a collegiate part of this address.
Nevertheless, COVID-19 and the accom-
and collaborative spirit. Never in our panying devastating effects for our entire
most surreal imaginations did we foresee
ourselves conducting our 50th Annual industry have demanded much of our
attention and energy this year.
General Meeting on a ZOOM video call!
We were already at an advanced stage COMMERCIAL IMPACT OF THE
with arrangements to hold what would COVID-19 PANDEMIC
have been our 50th annual assembly
at Skukuza in the Kruger Park, when Pre- COVID-19, Southern Africa’s airline
industry was operating under increasingly
the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns
were declared. Given the financial challenging financial conditions. Only a
impact of the pandemic on our mem- few - mostly privately-owned - airlines in
the region were profitable. Others relied
bers, our partners, stakeholders, the
economy and our communities, I’m sure on state support of some form or another.
you all agree that cancelling those plans Two of our airline members, South African
was both the appropriate and prudent Airways and SA Express, were placed
thing to do. From a practical and logis- in business rescue last December and
tical perspective, we had no certainty this February respectively. And in April,
on when South Africa’s borders would shortly after the lockdowns brought
be re-opened or if actual, rather than business to a virtual standstill, Comair
virtual, conferences would be permit- voluntarily followed them.
ted. All being well, we will meet again The pandemic and lockdowns have
in person next year, to celebrate AASA’s been catastrophic for aviation. The
half-century and, hopefully, a signifi- health and safety of our customers and
cant recovery of our industry. staff have always been our primary
AASA was established in 1970 to concern and so we supported the initial
represent the region’s airlines and “hard” lockdowns. They were intended
work together with industry leaders to flatten the infection curve and create
and senior government policy makers, the breathing space for public health
legislators and regulators on matters services to roll-out testing, educate and
affecting the common operations and change peoples’ social behaviour and to
sustainability of its member airlines. prepare facilities to cope with the rise in
Today we represent most of the SADC- infections and deaths.
based airlines and lead industry’s posi- But the restrictions inflicted severe
tion in the region on airport, airspace harm across many sectors of the econo-
and civil aviation issues, consumer my, not least on aviation, travel and tour-
legislation, environmental and tourism ism. The numbers provide evidence of
matters, and other important industry the impact and reflect the phased re-start
issues. We work in tandem with the UN of domestic, regional and international
International Civil Aviation Organization operations (statistics are 2020 vs 2019):
World Airnews | December 2020
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