AFRAA urges govt action to support African airlines suffering losses due to coronavirus

African Airlines Association (AFRAA) secretary general Abderahmane Berthé reported (19-Mar-2020) African airlines are "making losses due to substantial schedule changes, travel restrictions and cancellations" caused by the negative effects of coronavirus on travel demand. AFRAA urged African governments to consider subsidising and compensating losses for African airlines, as well as alleviating exogenous operating costs, in order to assure the industry's continued viability. Mr Berthé recommended African airlines "engage their stakeholders to develop an all-inclusive proactive response strategy that addresses the adverse impact of the COVID-19 on their business to ensure airlines recover effectively to support key economic sectors". [more - original PR]