(3 minutes read)
· The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called for the urgent opening of African skies to boost cross-border trade for the continent and to integrate the region in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
· The AfDB acting regional integration coordination office director Jean-Guy Afrika said that the low numbers of direct flights between countries in the continent since Covid-19 have continued to hamper regional integration
· Barring Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and RwandAir which have many routes on the continent, the rest of the airlines is in a limbo and are operating to a few destinations
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called for the urgent opening of African skies to boost cross-border trade for the continent and to integrate the region in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The AfDB acting regional integration coordination office director Jean-Guy Afrika said that the low numbers of direct flights between countries in the continent since Covid-19 have continued to hamper regional integration. It takes a lot of time to fly within the continent due to route rationalization and suspension of flights by several national air carriers of respective countries in the region. Some countries even do not have national carriers. At the same time, most of the national airlines are struggling to survive.
Barring Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and RwandAir which have many routes on the continent, the rest of the airlines is in a limbo and are operating to a few destinations. South African Airways has suspended domestic and regional flights l because of the heavy losses. The oldest airline in the continent, which was adjudged as one of the best airlines in the country, is in a bad shape. It may resume its international flights soon, but it is still not clear when the international routes will be finally operating. National connectivity of the domestic airlines has been severely disrupted.
