Page 12 - World Airnews August 2020 Edition

AIRLINES AIRLINES

normal service to Djibouti that same day. Only Moroccan citizens and expatriates living in Morocco
AFRICAN AIRLINES ARE datory for travel and that they will have to satisfy destination entry were allowed to travel in the first stage of the re-opening.
The airline has reminded passengers that face masks will be man-
National airlines have scheduled as many flights as necessary

requirements, such as health certificates, and complete health to return Moroccans living abroad as well as foreigners living in

Morocco. Passengers are required to present both a PCR virus

BLEEDING declaration forms if required. test taken within fewer than 48 hours of the flight, as well as
IVORY COAST
an antibody test, before boarding planes heading for Morocco.

Air Cote d’Ivoire resumed domestic flights following a government Moroccan citizens and foreign residents are able to leave Mo-
By Heidi Gibson bailout, three months after Covid-19 suspension of operations. The rocco by air and sea.

national carrier received 14 billion CFA francs or (US) $24.09 million

from the government to keep it afloat as the pandemic shut down

borders, schools, restaurants, churches and mosques, and putting flights. The resumption of flights is the first step in the airline’s plan NAMIBIA

in place a quarantine on the affected areas. to resume full operations post-COVID-19. International flights have It’s bad news for Air Namibia that was grounded due to cash

ike most countries around the world, Covid-19 lockdowns While a travel ban between cities has been lifted, a nightly cur- also resumed. problems. The airline failed to secure enough funding to remain
Lled to an almost complete standstill in African airline travel few remains in place, land and air borders remain closed to all but solvent and so its planes were grounded. The airline, which

on the continent. Countries closed their borders and international freight. The use of face masks is mandatory in public places. Once operates 10 aircraft on continental and one international route,

air travel came to a grinding halt. borders reopen, expats arriving from overseas will have to undergo with a staff of close to 800, required around 8 billion Namibian

In the region served by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a 14-day quarantine period on arrival. dollars or (US) $469 million to stay afloat, but only received a tenth
some 36 countries closed their borders, eight suspended flights EGYPT

from countries with high Covid-19 transmission and others im-

posed partial or no restrictions. On 25 June, Egypt Air resumed international flights to Abu Dhabi,

In recent weeks though, things have slowly started to change and
countries like Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania and Zambia
have resumed commercial flights.

The 15-member Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) – a regional political and economic union – has also
opened their airspace.

Open borders are vital for the free flow of goods and people and

yet even with restrictions, imported cases brought back Covid-19

to countries, which had not reported cases for a length of time. KENYA

For example, up until April 6 Seychelles had not had a locally The national carrier Kenya Airways has resumed local flights after

transmitted case but in the last week of June, some 66 new halting operations for 99 days.

cases – all crew members of an international fishing vessel – Its subsidiary, Jambojet, is also back to the skies. The carrier of that in last month’s budget.
were recorded. started off with flights to Mombasa and Kisumu. But before the ruling could take effect, the Windhoek High Court

“Air travel is vital to the economic health of countries,” said Mat- ruled to overturn it. And the airline continued as normal. A hear-

shidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. MAURITIUS ing is scheduled to take place this month.
“But as we take to the skies again, we cannot let our guard down. Air Mauritius has put up five aircraft for sale after the airline In addition to its Windhoek-Frankfurt offering, the carrier

Our new normal still requires stringent measures to stem the entered into administration as a result of the current crisis. With operates busy regional routes to Cape Town, Luanda and Hara-

spread of Covid-19,” she said. Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Paris, Toronto and Washington DC international travel demand looking sluggish for the foreseeable re, attracting buying interest from bigger carriers like Ethiopian

African countries have now been urged to “identify every op- (among others). future, it appears that the airline is seeking to downsize. Airlines, Lufthansa and South African Airways, according to local

portunity where travel restrictions could be lifted ... as soon as the ETHIOPIAN According to data from Planespotters, Air Mauritius currently has media reports.

epidemiological situation allows for it.” Ethiopian Airlines resumed service to Dubai and Cameroon this a fleet of 13 aircraft. This includes three ATR 72 turboprops, two

It is clear Africa can no longer delay the resumption of month with Duala and Yaoundé included. The service is three A319-100s, two A330-200s, two A330-900neos, two A340-300s, NIGERIA

international flights because it faces the first recession in a times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Addis and two A350-900s. In addition, South African Airways has leased Nigerian airports reopened for domestic operations after months

quarter-century and has lost nearly (US) $55bn in the travel Ababa to Duala via Yaoundé and then back to Addis Ababa. two A350s from Air Mauritius, which are not included in the of lockdown.
and tourism sectors in the past three months, according to the Further to the resumption of regular service to Dubai and above count. Airports in the capital Abuja and the centre of commerce in

African Union. Djibouti, the addition of Duala and Yaoundé will bring the total Lagos opened first. Passengers waiting to embark were seen

Airlines alone have lost about (US) $8bn and some may not even number of destinations to be served by Ethiopian with enhanced MOROCCO observing social distancing orders, with newly-installed hand

survive, analysts said. safety measures to 42. Morocco has gradually begun to reopen its air and maritime washing facilities at the airports, and airport workers were

African airlines could lose another (US) $6bn of passenger borders after a strict lockdowns, which trapped tourists inside the taking the temperature of passengers and decontaminating

revenue compared to 2019 and job losses in aviation and related
industries could grow to 3.1 million - half of the region’s 6.2mn
aviation-related employment, according to the International Air

Transport Association (IATA).
In the worst-case scenario, international air traffic in Africa could

see a 69% drop in international traffic capacity and 59% decline in

domestic capacity, according to an analysis by the International

Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
World Airnews presents a round-up of the current situation

by country. While every attempt has been made to ensure that
the information is up to date and as accurate as possible, the

magazine wishes to warn readers that every day there are new

developments and this article should be read in the context of a
changing situation.

BURKINA FASO

Confirmed their first case in Ouagadougou on 9 March. Days after It opened for leisure travel after suspending flights to 30 coun- country and left thousands of Moroccans stranded abroad and

authorities began implementing restrictions to curb the spread tries in an attempt to reduce the spread of the novel corona virus. unable to come home. their bags.

of the outbreak, including imposing a curfew, closing airports, Its lockdown ended on July 17 and Ethiopian Airlines resumed its The government has committed itself to the World Health
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