A good overview of the prospects for air travel in Africa is given by interactive map free of the IATA. The international air transport Association refreshes several times per day the travel restrictions due to the pandemic of sars coronavirus.
In dark blue, appear the countries where limitations are total. In light blue, those where they are partial and, in gray, the countries little restrictive. However, the dominant color of the African is the dark blue. This is the situation to this day. It is confirmed by an image Flightradar the african skies, which proves to be almost empty when the activity has resumed on other roads.
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Waiting
One might think that from the 1st of July, with the liberalization of access to european countries, some countries are in blue, imposing here a health check upon arrival, there is a quarantine which can go from 5 to 21 days, or even ” self-isolation “. Some constraints to be surprised, as the flights to Morocco suspended, but ” this does not apply to flights VIP with an authorization issued by the ministry of foreign Affairs of Morocco “. In Tunisia, more than forty in July, but testing for the tourists. Air France resumed its flights to Tunis and Djerba. IATA recommends that the tunisian government to provide financial support to a sector which provides about 100 000 jobs. The flights would resume “between Egypt and the countries that reopened their airspaces,” said Mohamed Manar, the minister of Aviation, on Sunday in Cairo, where a reduction of airport taxes and fuel cost are announced.
In Senegal, the authorities are preparing to reopen the service domestic. Air Senegal, the young international company that serves, among others, Paris, we are waiting for the green light : “We follow with attention the reopening of the borders and are ready to resume our flights. “Ditto for the company’s regional senegalese rainbow Aviation, which, during the last quarter, focused on the medevacs.
In Africa, leaders are more stunned than elsewhere, and the local companies do not want to be more royalist than the king by announcing a program of flights so that the borders are not yet open, note an operator familiar with the destination. Even for flights of repatriation, the rights of traffic, obtained usually in two days, ask for a week’s time.
Ethiopian Airlines maintains a certain amount of flights with passengers to the country who have not closed their borders. The company Addis Ababa has also managed to adapt by converting some aircraft in freight transport, an activity that is currently very profitable, which lack of ability.
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Bankruptcy
The situation is very difficult for South African Airways, already in bankruptcy before the pandemic. The company expects to return 19 of its 40 aircraft leased and renegotiated the terms of the leases of twenty devices. In the meantime, flights to South Africa are suspended. A rescue plan of $ 600 million is in preparation with, in a first time, a fleet reduced to six aircraft, between July, 2020 and February 2021, and a workforce of 1,000 employees.
in Another country and national airline in suffering, Mauritius and Air Mauritius are low profile. Despite a déconfinement almost complete, access to the island will remain forbidden to foreigners until 31 August inclusive, excluding special flights for the repatriation or freight. Tourism, the main resource of Mauritius, will lie idle this summer. Air Mauritius has returned to court administrators, who have six months to revive the company. The closing of the traffic button including Air France, Corsair, Air Austral, Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, etc., On the neighboring island of Reunion, the traffic restarts gradually with a daily Southern Air in July, Air France, the French bee, Corsair. Only connecting flights to Mayotte are maintained.
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Hajj pending
The uncertainty still reigns on the hajj. Saudi Arabia still has not decided on the timing of the great annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Report pure and simple, or access to a limited number of pilgrims are two possible options for a decision that would be ceaseless. With 2.5 million faithful in the last year came mainly in aircraft, the event generated an important traffic west-east over Africa, expected this year between late June and late August. Indonesia, most populous muslim country, has given up as well as Malaysia and Singapore. Senegal has suspended the formalities while Egypt, Morocco, Turkey or Lebanon to await the choice of Riyadh.
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writing will advise you
Africa faces the Covid-19 : the economic shock threat, “The Covid-19 may help african economies to reinvent themselves” Air France : slow recovery of flights to West Africa Covid-19 : Ethiopian Airlines has already lost a half-billion dollars in Africa over The Covid-19 : the african aviation nailed to the ground
