IATA Wants Travel Bans Dropped As COVID-19 Becomes Endemic

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) continues its campaign to reboot the airline industry and is again calling on governments to relax travel restrictions further as COVID-19 evolves from the pandemic to the endemic stage. IATA wants all travel barriers (including quarantine and testing) removed for fully vaccinated travelers.

“With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence and opinion opposing the targeting of travelers with restrictions and country bans to control the spread of COVID-19. The measures have not worked,” said IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh.

“Today, omicron is present in all parts of the world. That’s why travel, with very few exceptions, does not increase the risk to general populations. The billions spent testing travelers would be far more effective if allocated to vaccine distribution or strengthening health care systems.”

Airline capacity still lagging around the world

According to airline analytics consultancy OAG, global airline capacity this week (measured by the number of available seats) is now 25.5% behind the same week in 2019. However, the current capacity is tracking above the equivalent weeks in 2020 and 2021. The bulk of the current capacity is in domestic markets, currently just 11% below the comparable 2019 period. International capacity remains 48% down on the equivalent 2019 period.

Outright border bans in some countries and complex and costly testing and/or quarantine regimes in other countries can make international travel an unattractive proposition to most travelers. That’s having direct flow-through effects on airlines.

Except for Central and Western Africa (where overall airline capacity has increased 4.8% compared to the same week in 2019), current available capacity continues to lag 2019 levels in every other airline market worldwide. In some markets, including Central and Upper South America, there is a relatively small, single-figure gap. In key markets like North America, Western Europe, and North-East Asia, capacity is currently down by 12.5%, 36.5%, and 20.6%, respectively.

Regional airline organizations echo IATA’s view

The biggest regional laggards are the South East Asian and South-West Pacific markets, where capacity is down 47.1% and 49.9%. Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines Director-General Subhas Menon says this is due to strict border measures imposed throughout the region and the emergence of the omicron variant. Mr Menon is singing from the same songsheet as Willie Walsh.

“For meaningful recovery to take place, border restrictions would need to be eased on a consistent basis, and the current multi-layered travel requirements streamlined and simplified for travelers,” he says.

IATA gets behind recent research studies

While there is a clear commercial imperative for Mr Walsh’s 290 member airlines to boost the amount of flying they do, IATA cites a recently published study by Oxera and Edge Health that demonstrates the minimal impact of travel restrictions on controlling travel restrictions the spread of omicron.

The study was specific to the UK. However, it found that the absence of any on arrival testing measures for travelers would have seen the omicron wave peak seven days earlier with an overall 8% increase in cases. Critically, now that omicron is highly prevalent in the UK, if all travel testing requirements were removed, there would be no impact on omicron case numbers or hospitalizations in the UK.

“It is clear that travel restrictions in any part of the world have had little impact on the spread of COVID-19, including the omicron variant. The UK, France, and Switzerland have recognized this and are among the first to begin removing travel measures. More governments need to follow their lead,” said Mr Walsh.

IATA’s Director General argues other governments removing barriers to travel will not only help normalize the airline industry, but it will help the world learn to live with COVID.

Source: Simple Flying

African airlines lost a collective $8.6 billion in 2021 due to travel restrictions caused by COVID-19

According to an updated report by the African Airlines Association (Afraa), the COVID-19 pandemic continued to hammer Africa’s aviation industry in 2021, resulting in an estimated $8.6 billion revenue loss.

While the figure is less than the $10.21 billion revenue loss recorded by the sector in 2020, it did mark a 49.8% decline when compared to the revenue recorded by the sector prior to the pandemic in 2019.

The report blamed the revenue loss on the stringent travel restrictions placed by governments, in a bid to contain the Coronavirus. While the restrictions were well-intentioned, they also inevitably made it impossibly for African airlines to operate optimally.

As a matter of fact, the traffic volume from January through to December was 42.3% less than what was recorded in 2019.

“Across Africa in general, passenger traffic volumes remain depressed due to the unilateral and uncoordinated travel health restrictions imposed by some governments following the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“Airline revenues have remained low with many operators battling with cash-flow issues. Full-year revenue loss for 2021 is estimated at $8.6 billion, equivalent to 49.8 per cent of the 2019 revenues,” said a part of the report.

The Afraa report further noted that the ongoing political upheaval in Ethiopia also contributed to the loss because traffic volumes into the Horn of Africa country contracted, particularly between November and December last year.

Do note that during the year under review, only three African airlines were able to continue with their international routes expansion, the report said.

Source: Business Insider Africa

More countries reopen to travelers, signaling a big shift in pandemic thinking

Another day — another border reopens.      

In the past two weeks, a slew of countries announced plans to reopen or relax border restrictions. These include places that have maintained some of the strictest pandemic-related border controls in the world. 

The announcements come on the heels of a record-setting period of global infections. According to the World Health Organization, Covid-19 cases hit a new peak worldwide in late January, with more than 4 million cases registered in a single day. 

However, many countries are signaling that they can’t economically afford — or are no longer willing — to stay closed.

The pervasiveness of the omicron variant, which started spreading in countries — both open and closed — late last year, led people to question the utility of locked border policies.

In addition, more than half (54%) of the world’s population is now vaccinated, according to Our World in Data. Medical treatments can successfully thwart and treat severe infections. And, many experts are now “cautiously optimistic” — as top American medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has stated — that a new phase of the pandemic may be within reach.

Australia

Arguably the biggest announcement of the past week came Monday, when Australia declared plans to reopen to vaccinated travelers from Feb. 21.

The news signaled the end to “Fortress Australia,” a moniker applied to the country’s controversial closed border policy that locked out foreigners and citizens alike.

The economic toll of Australia’s insular border policy was highlighted in January, when soon after backpackers were granted permission to enter, Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledged to refund some $350 in visa fees to those who moved swiftly. As it turned out, the about-face toward “working holiday maker” visa holders was part of an effort to reduce severe labor shortages.

Darryl Newby, co-founder of the Melbourne-based travel company Welcome to Travel, said the pandemic “not only affected the travel sector but every single industry” in Australia.

Pressure mounted when Covid infections skyrocketed in December, leaving an open question as to the purpose of keeping vaccinated and tested travelers locked out.

“Negative sentiment,” which began showing up in market research, may have been another factor, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The article quoted Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison as saying the country went from being “envied” to “ridiculed” over its border policies, with some fearing lasting damage to Australia’s touristic appeal.

The state of Western Australia, home to Perth, is not reopening to either foreigners or Australian tourists yet. It scrapped plans to reopen amid a rise in Covid cases in January.

New Zealand

Another so-called “fortress” announced plans to welcome back vaccinated international visitors.

Unlike Australia, New Zealand last week outlined a five-step phased reopening plan that won’t allow international travelers to enter until July, at the earliest. Vaccinated travelers must also self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival.

With some exceptions, the plan first welcomes citizens and residents to enter later this month, if they are traveling from Australia. Citizens and residents coming from other places, plus eligible workers, can enter in mid-March, followed by some visa holders and students in mid-April.

Vaccinated travelers from Australia and those from countries who don’t need visas — including those from Canada, the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Israel, Chile, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates — can enter from July. Others will be allowed to visit starting in October.

Philippines

After closing its borders in March 2020, the Philippines announced plans to reopen today to vaccinated travelers from more than 150 countries and territories.  

The country suspended its color-coded country classification program in favor of opening to vaccinated travelers who test negative via a PCR test. Facility-based quarantines were also replaced with a requirement to self-monitor for seven days.

Covid cases in the Philippines peaked last month, with more than 300,000 daily cases at one point. Cases dropped as quickly as they rose, with 3,543 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours as at Feb. 10, according to the WHO.

Despite the surge, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism indicated the decision to reopen was related to economic hardship and, possibly, to match the policies of other Southeast Asian countries.

“The Department sees this as a welcome development that will contribute significantly to job restoration … and in the reopening of businesses that have earlier shut down during the pandemic,″ said Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat in an article on the department’s website. “We are confident that we will be able to keep pace with our ASEAN neighbors who have already made similar strides to reopen to foreign tourists.”

Bali 

Despite rising infections, Bali, Indonesia, opened to vaccinated international travelers last week.

“It is known that currently the positivity rate is already above the WHO standard of 5% … the number of people who are checked and tested on a daily basis has also increased significantly,” according to a news release published on Jan. 31 on the country’s Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs office.

Yet the decision to reopen to international travelers — which has been postponed in the past — was made to “re-invigorate Bali’s economy,” according to the website. 

Travelers face a five-day quarantine requirement, though they can isolate in one of 66 hotels, which include many of the island’s well-known luxurious resorts, such as The Mulia Resort and Villa and The St. Regis Bali Resort.

Bali, however, isn’t reopening to foreign tourists for the first time. It opened last October to travelers from 19 countries. Yet few people turned up due, in part, to a lack of international flights and the island’s stringent entrance requirements.   

Malaysia

Malaysia’s National Recovery Council on Tuesday recommended that the country reopen to international travelers as early as March 1, according to Reuters.

Travelers are not expected to have to quarantine on arrival, similar to tourism policies enacted by Thailand and Singapore.

Nearly 98% of Malaysia’s adult population is vaccinated, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, with more than two-thirds using vaccines produced by Pfizer or AstraZeneca, and one-third on the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine.

Malaysia may be on its way toward an omicron-induced case peak. A steep uptick in daily cases began two weeks ago and has yet to decline.

Relaxing travel restrictions

Countries that are already open to international travelers are moving to further relax entrance requirements.

Though Europe is the regional leader in new Covid cases according to the WHO, countries such as Greece, France, Portugal, Sweden and Norway have announced plans to drop incoming test requirements for vaccinated travelers — though some apply only to EU residents.

Last week, the islands of Puerto Rico and Aruba enacted similar measures.

Other places are moving in the opposite direction. After shuttering bars and banning some incoming flights in late January, Hong Kong this week imposed new restrictions, including limiting public gatherings to two people. The restrictions are causing citywide food shortages, inflated prices and a rising public anger, according to The Guardian.  

China also reinstituted strict measures ahead of the Winter Olympic Games, with lockdowns affecting some 20 million people in January, according to the Associated Press.   

Though both relaxed border restrictions, the Philippines and Bali also announced heightened local restrictions this year.

Source: CNBC Travel

Flight Centre trends report: ‘Travel agent is king’

Flight Centre UK’s 2022 report says the “travel agent is king” and bookings through agencies are expected to rise this year because of the complexities of travel in the Covid era.

More than half (54%) of Brits would choose to book through a travel agent, rather than independently, according to the report.

“Though the benefits of booking through a travel agent have long been recognised, the uncertainty of travel in this Covid-age has further cemented the value of an agent’s expertise,” the report said.

“Pandemic-era travel requires more emphasis on pre departure planning than ever before.

“Add to that, unexpected changes and cancellations due to outbreaks, reduced airline capacity and scaled down airline staff, makes having a one-stop shop service with a travel agent invaluable.”

Flight Centre said its UK travel agents have had “thousands of conversations with new customers looking for the help and support they just can’t get elsewhere”.

“This has driven hundreds of Trustpilot reviews, quoting how our Flight Centre staff have helped our customers,” it said.

“Since the pandemic began, the average age of our British customer has dropped from 53 to 51, as younger travellers have discovered that extra help and protection offered by an agent is missing when you book several components online.”

January 2022 has seen Flight Centre’s highest levels of enquiries and UK bookings since the start of the pandemic.

As well as the importance of agents, its 2022 Travel Trends Report highlighted how “flexibility is key” and beach holidays are the most popular type of break.

Reconnecting with friends and family and sustainable travel were other notable trends in the report.

Liz Mathews, managing director of Flight Centre UK, said: “This year is one of revenge travel. Travellers are itching to stick it to Covid-19 and will take great pleasure in boarding a plane and crossing borders in 2022.

“The pent-up demand from the last 22 months is bubbling over as people see an end in sight for this pandemic.

“And they want vengeance. Vengeance for all the cancelled holidays, missed weekends away, and the get-togethers they never got to plan.”

Source: Travel Weekly

This is what travel looks like as COVID-19 goes into an endemic phase

As we enter the third season of the pandemic, it feels like we have more questions than answers. That’s especially true for travelers.

There was hope that the vaccine rollout would mean worry-free jet-setting and reopened international borders, but the omicron variant disrupted those plans, with cases hitting record highs. Now that COVID-19 case numbers are falling again, there’s a positive outlook on the future.

In fact, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and a member of the Healthy Sail Panel, told travel agents during a conference call at the invitation of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings that COVID-19 is quickly approaching “an endemic phase where this becomes a persistent issue, but an issue that fades into the background of our daily lives.”

Experts agree that COVID-19 will forever be part of our ecosystem, although the public health crisis will wane. Again, this leaves us with new, unanswered questions.

“I believe that as [COVID-19] becomes endemic, travel will return to something that feels more normal, but not all the way,” Dr. Brad Bowman, chief medical officer at Healthgrades (which is owned by TPG’s parent company, Red Ventures) told TPG.

“Because [COVID-19] is so much more than seasonal influenza, some protective and transmission measures will likely continue to be recommended.”

So, what does that mean long-term for travel as the pandemic morphs into an endemic? Here’s what the experts say.

Proof of vaccination or additional symptom questionnaires could become the norm

Right now, if you want to travel abroad, many countries require proof of vaccination.

After all, we saw the news of tennis star Novak Djokovic getting deported from Australia due to his vaccination status. However, countries like the U.S. don’t require proof when flying domestically.

Some destinations, such as India and the European Union, have created a digital platform that links your vaccination status with your travel information. This is meant to not only make it easier to fly but also help “ensure that restrictions currently in place can be lifted in a coordinated manner.”

That statement suggests there could be a time when vaccination status won’t matter.

Even if that doesn’t come to fruition and proof of vaccination remains a requirement for entry, travelers shouldn’t be that surprised. Currently, multiple vaccinations for everything from yellow fever to malaria are required to travel to certain parts of Africa. So, a world with a COVID-19 vaccine requirement is not that different from the one that existed before the pandemic.

What remains to be seen is if it will vary based on destination, a belief held by Dr. Pia MacDonald, senior director of applied public health research at RTI International. While MacDonald says it’s unlikely domestic travel will require proof of vaccination, she suspects that international travel would differ significantly.

“Lower- and middle-income countries that don’t have those excellent tracking systems or easy access to vaccinations could still have a vaccination mandate to protect their populations,” she said.

Bowman agreed, adding, “It’s not hard to imagine that safety itself could emerge as a premium class (i.e., vaccine passport class). Airlines will likely follow health care’s lead and adopt similar employee requirements.”

For travelers, it could morph into something where “symptom questionnaires could be added to the boarding and check-in process” instead of a vaccine mandate, according to Bowman.

Testing mandates could be seasonal or go away altogether

If you’ve traveled internationally at any point in the last couple of years, you know that COVID-19 testing is part of the process. As new variants have emerged, these requirements have shifted and changed over time, with the latest guidance for entry into the U.S. being a test taken within a day of arrival.

While studies have shown that testing helps reduce the rate of transmission, it will ultimately become “voluntary but strongly encouraged, especially in flight and in common areas,” according to Bowman.

MacDonald notes, however, that there will be a noticeable difference between domestic and international travel. Domestically, she believes a testing mandate is not likely. But, for travel abroad, she expects it to remain in place, though it could morph into something that greatly differs from the current testing requirement.

“The endemic phase is going to include this emergence of variants that are more or less dangerous,” MacDonald said, “so, there will be an ebb and flow of change that we will have to get used to in the same way we have for influenza.”

That means we could be required to test during certain times of the year when COVID-19 spikes, similar to the flu.

Or, testing could take on an entirely new meaning.

Instead of relying on COVID-19 tests, countries could lean more on biometric screening and other illness symptom tracking methods. We see this now in places like China, where your temperature is automatically taken when you enter the country.

“As a global travel community, we’ve built out more infrastructure for testing and monitoring,” MacDonald said. “More of that is likely to come to screen for [COVID-19], future variants and new viruses.”

Masks could remain a part of air travel, whether they’re mandated or not

Mask-wearing has become a point of contention in the U.S., though it’s been the norm in other regions like Asia long before the pandemic.

Right now, masks are required on airlines, but it’s clear many people are eager to see that mandate lifted.

As we move into the endemic phase, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious-disease expert for the White House, foresees mask-wearing as the norm on planes.

“It is conceivable that as we go on, a year or two or more from now, that during certain seasonal periods when you have respiratory-borne viruses like the flu, people might actually elect to wear masks to diminish the likelihood that you’ll spread these respiratory-borne diseases,” he said.

Likewise, Bowman believes “a significant number of staff and passengers will choose to wear masks,” though she does not think it will be mandated in the future.

Others, like MacDonald, envision a future that’s more like the testing mandate, where masks will be required at particular times of the year, with guidance varying by country. There’s the possibility it could eventually become permanently mandated, though that would likely take a long time.

“Look at smoking on planes,” MacDonald said. “That changed over time where certain countries still allowed it and others didn’t until it was permanently banned. Masking will also change over time, especially as travelers become more and more used to it.”

Bottom line

While there is still so much up in the air about the future of COVID-19, it’s likely to continue affecting travel, even after the pandemic transitions into an endemic. Pandemic travel requirements such as masks and symptom screenings are probably here to stay, though they may look different from current measures.

Much like other communicable diseases before it, COVID-19 may never completely go away. Only time will tell just how much measures to combat it will remain a part of our travels.

Source: The Points Guy

Travelport says updated desktop streamlines tasks for travel agents

Travelport says the latest updates to its Smartpoint desktop tool ease the process of comparing and booking complex tickets while facilitating post-purchase servicing by travel advisors. 

The company has also introduced a new portal called Trip Manager on the Travelport Plus platform, which gives travelers the ability to do some tasks, such as ticket exchanges. 

The enhancements, which went live last month, offer improved comparison shopping within Smartpoint’s Intelligent Storefront. Search results, for example, align products by airline, dividing them into five categories: basic, economy, legroom, premium and luxury.

The interface shows prices and also provides travel advisors with the capability to dig into deeper comparison content, where they can see more specifics of the various products, such as WiFi, meal offerings and policies/prices for checked and carry-on bags. 

Kyle Moore, Travelport’s global head of customer strategy and marketing, said Smartpoint’s automated Assisted Ticketing solution was improved. Travel advisors use the tool for post-purchase servicing of clients’ itineraries. The solution, he said, saves more than five minutes per involuntary ticket change transaction versus making those change manually. And refunds can now be processed in less than half the time it would take to process them manually. 

Travelport has also made enhancements to its Trip Quote tool. Moore says it is now easier for travel advisors to store a trip quote and apply mark-ups where appropriate before sending the offers to clients. 

The Trip Manager tool, meanwhile, is an evolution from Travelport’s ViewTrip function. Trip Manager has more self-service capabilities for travelers, including enabling exchanges.

“The self-service option for travelers using the new portal allows agencies to preserve resources while providing travelers an improved experience with the ability to easily add extras to their trip,” Travelport says. 

Moore said all of the recent upgrades are aligned with Travelport’s goal of evolving its merchandising capabilities to keep pace with the increasingly more complex fare products, including NDC-enabled merchandising. Travelport has entered into NDC content agreements with 16 airlines and is live with NDC-supported content from American, United, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.

Source: Travel Weekly

Travel Sector’s Effect on Economy Could Reach Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, WTTC Says

New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed that the global travel & tourism sector’s contribution to the global economy could reach $8.6 trillion this year, just 6.4 percent behind pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, the sector generated nearly $9.2 trillion to the global economy; however, in 2020, the pandemic brought the sector to an almost complete standstill, causing a massive 49.1 percent drop, representing a severe loss of nearly $4.5 trillion.

The latest research from WTTC shows that as the world finally begins to recover from pandemic, the sector’s contribution to both the global economy and employment could reach almost pre-pandemic levels this year.

Research by the global tourism body shows that if the vaccine and booster rollout continue at pace this year, and restrictions to international travel are eased around the world throughout the year, the sector could create 58 million jobs in 2022, to reach more than 330 million—just 1 percent below pre-pandemic levels and up 21.5 percent on 2020.

“Over the past two years, the global travel and tourism sector has suffered tremendous losses,” Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said in a press release. She continued: “As people start traveling again, governments must implement simplified rules, including the use of digital solutions. Travel of the future should be contactless while guaranteeing safety,” she added.

In 2019, the sector generated 10.4 percent of global GDP and more than 330 million jobs. To reach close to pre-pandemic levels this year, WTTC says governments around the world must continue focussing on the vaccine and booster rollout—allowing fully vaccinated travelers to move freely without the need for testing.

The global tourism body also urges governments to ditch the patchwork of restrictions and enable international travel using digital solutions that allow travelers to prove their status in a fast, simple and secure way.

Source: Travel Agent Central

Kenya Airways to stop transporting monkeys used for medical experiments in US

Kenyan flag carrier Kenya Airways will not renew its contract with an undisclosed breeding farm that paid the airline to ship monkeys from Mauritius to a research laboratory in New York, where they were used in medical experiments.  

The decision comes after a truck towing a trailer with monkeys was involved in a crash on a Pennsylvania highway. 

In an interview with AP News, Kenya Airways CEO Michael Joseph said that following the contract, the carrier flew 100 long-tailed Macaques from Mauritius to New York (JFK) on January 21, 2022.  

On arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the animals were put into a truck trailer for further transportation. However, the truck collided with a dump truck in Pennsylvania later that day.  

Due to the crash, which is currently being investigated by the US Department of Agriculture, some of the monkeys were injured. Several escaped and were caught by Pennsylvania State Police. Unfortunately, some of the macaques were “shot and killed” during the catch, according to media reports.  

Following the incident, American animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) contacted the Kenya Airways CEO regarding the treatment of the macaques.  

In response to the recent event, Kenya Airways announced that it will not renew its shipment contract with the breeding facility. The current contract expires in February 2022. 

Source: Aerotime Hub

Ethiopian Airlines reactivates its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

Ethiopian Airlines has commenced reactivation of its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. The 737 MAX, which is the first of four passenger jets, has returned to the skies for the first time since the aircraft were grounded in spring 2019.  

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8, registration ET-AVI, was spotted on February 1, 2022. According to Flightradar24.com data, the jet took off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) at 09:21 a.m. (UTC) for a two hour-long reactivation flight and returned to the airport around 11.46 a.m. (UTC).  

The jet was the first of four 737 MAX passenger planes operate by the airline before the type was grounded following two fatal crashes. 346 people died when Lion Air Flight 610 crashed on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on March 10, 2019. 

The MAX reactivation follows Ethiopian Airlines’ initial schedule, which was announced by the airline in December 2021.  

At the time, Tewolde Gebremariam, Ethiopian Airlines CEO revealed that it had taken more than 20 months for the airline to regain confidence in the safety of its MAX fleet.  

“We have taken enough time to monitor the design modification work and the more than 20 months of rigorous rectification process…our pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians, cabin crew are confident in the safety of the fleet,” the CEO said in a statement seen by Reuters, which was dated January 2022.  

Gebremariam also noted that safety is the airline’s “topmost priority” and guides “every decision [it] makes and all actions [it] takes”. 

Source: Aerotime Hub

African Airlines Blame Strict Travel Guidelines For Continued Poor Performance

Stringent travel advisories have continued to depress the performance of airlines’ in Africa with numbers still below 2019 capacity, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has said.

According to AFRAA, African airline revenues have remained low with many operators battling with cash-flow issues with full-year revenue loss for 2021 estimated at $8.6billion.

This is equivalent to 49.8 per cent of the 2019 revenues.

“As a result of these uncoordinated measures, air passenger traffic from January to December was only 42.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2019,” AFRAA noted.

The capacity improved and reached 52.7 per cent in January 2022, and AFRAA expects it to inch up by 6.3 per cent to 59 per cent in the year.

According to the airline lobby group, the domestic market maintained the biggest share for capacity deployed, though actual passenger traffic saw a dip.

Domestic demand was at 42 per cent and outperformed intra-Africa and intercontinental which remained subdued at 31.9 per cent and 25.6 per cent respectively.

On the actual number of passenger seats offered, domestic, intra-Africa and intercontinental account for 47.3, 24.9, and 27.8 per cent respectively.

As at the end of 2021, African airlines had reinstated approximately 80.8 per cent of their pre-Covid international routes, though frequencies remain low.

The Intra-African connectivity reached 76 per cent of the pre-Covid level in November 2021 and increased to 80 per cent in December.

AFRAA forecast the intra-African connectivity to slide back to 76 per cent in January 2022 because of the closure of some routes.

“Across Africa in general, passenger traffic volumes remain depressed due to the unilateral and uncoordinated travel health restrictions imposed by some governments following the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COV-2,” said AFRAA.

Source: Capital Business