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The International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International – Africa (ACI Africa), and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Regional Offices for African States have jointly called on African governments to rapidly implement ICAO’s global guidelines to ensure the safe and harmonised restart of aviation in the region. Countries in Africa and around the world shut down their borders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the spread of the disease.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the aviation industry bodies said now is the time for all stakeholders of the aviation ecosystem to work together towards a swift, efficient and sustainable recovery of the African air transport industry.

The proposed measures in the ICAO guidance framework include physical distancing to the extent that is feasible and implementation of adequate risk-based measures where distancing is not feasible, for example in aircraft cabins; wearing of face coverings and masks by passengers and aviation workers; routine sanitation and disinfection of all areas with potential for human contact and transmission; health screening, which could include pre- and post-flight self-declarations, as well as temperature screening and visual observation to be conducted by health professionals.
   
The rules also include contact-tracing for passengers and aviation employees: updated contact information should be requested as part of the health self-declaration. Interaction between passengers and governments are advised to be made directly though government portals. Electronic tools are to be encouraged to avoid the use of paper. Testing is also recommended if and when real-time, rapid and reliable testing becomes available.

IATA, a trade association of the world's airlines, said COVID-19 has crippled the air transport industry in Africa. Demand is forecast to fall by 58.5 per cent year-on-year in 2020 – the largest drop of all the world regions.

Airlines in Africa are expected to post a net loss of $2 billion this year as passenger revenues decline by over $6 billion compared to the previous year. Also, African airports are expected to lose 51 per cent of their revenues in 2020, amounting to around $2.2 billion. Job losses in aviation and related industries in the region could reach 3.1 million and the share of GDP supported by aviation could fall by $28 billion. Before the pandemic, aviation supported 6.2 million jobs in Africa and contributed $55.8 billion in GDP.

Guidelines for safe return to air travel have been provided by ICAO, a United Nations specialised agency. The guidelines are contained in “Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel Through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis.” The guidelines were approved by the ICAO Council. They have also been adopted into the African Union’s Restart and Recovery Strategies during and after COVID-19 for the African aviation sector.

The ICAO Take-off Guidance is a phased approach to restarting aviation and identifies a set of generally applicable risk-based measures. The measures are aimed at reducing health risks to air travellers, aviation workers, while strengthening confidence among the travelling public and the global supply chains. According to ICAO, this will accelerate demand for essential and non-essential air travel, which has been impacted by COVID-19.

“Governments in Africa are encouraged to implement the guidance urgently and in a harmonized and mutually recognized way to allow aviation to safely start contributing to Africa’s economic recovery post COVID-19,” said Barry Kashambo, Regional Director for ICAO Eastern and Southern African Regional Office (ESAF), “Air connectivity is critical to economic and sustainable development in and across the continent.”

In an interview on Thursday with FRANCE 24, IATA's CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said 2020 will be the worst year in the history of aviation. According to him, it will take until 2022 or 2023 before air travel returns to pre-pandemic levels.

“Restarting international connectivity safely while ensuring that aviation is not a meaningful source for the spread of COVID-19 is not an option but a must,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East. “Aviation is facing the biggest challenge of its history; we need all hands-on deck to get the industry up and running again and we are committed to making the journey as seamless and risk-free as possible.”
 
Albakri further stated that IATA will collaborate with and support states to implement the guidelines in the fastest and most efficient way.