AFRAA calls for Covid travel regulation reform

Cape Town flying

The organisation says that current restrictions and travel bans are a huge risk to recent gains by the African travel industry

The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has called for increased cooperation and the rationalisation of Covid travel restrictions to alleviate strain on the African airline industry.

AFRAA has recommended that governments and stakeholders should harmonise health protocols where possible, reconsider travel bans and adopt a risk-based approach in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The organisation said it views this approach as critical for the efficient restart of the aviation industry.

AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé said: “The travel restrictions and blanket bans are a huge risk to the gains made in the recovery of the travel ecosystem. Furthermore, air transport connectivity and economic sustainability of airlines’ operations will be negatively impacted.” 

African transport industry has been stunted due to Omicron restrictions

Berthé highlighted the significant progress which African airlines had made in their post-Covid recovery, prior to the implementation of heightened Covid restrictions and outright bans on travel to many African countries by governments across the globe in November 2021.

“2021 marked the dawn of recovery with positive trends in air transport activity being remarked across the globe,” Berthé said. “As of October 2021, African airlines had reopened 81.3 per cent of their international routes that had been closed due to the pandemic. African cargo capacity grew by 33 per cent since 2019 and cargo load factors improved by 9 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

The travel bans were introduced following the identification of the recent Omicron Covid variant in southern Africa and labelled a ‘variant of concern’ by WHO on 26 November.

Many travel bans remain in place, despite criticism from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA Director General Willie Walsh previously referred to the current state of Covid travel restrictions as an ‘uncoordinated, evidence absent, risk-unassessed mess’ last month.