Coronavirus: African countries loses $400 million in two months, International Air Transport Association discloses

March 4, 2020 7:30 PM

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has disclosed that African Airlines have lost about $400 million to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in China.

According to the global airline industry body, although the epidemic is not as widespread in Africa as in other continents, it has led airlines like South African Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Air Tanzania, Air Mauritius, EgyptAir, RwandAir and Kenya Airways to suspend flights to and from China.

The Vice-President of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Raphael Kuuchi, made the revelation while speaking to the BBC

He noted that the losses in the continent's aviation industry have so far come from suspended and cancelled flights on routes to China.

Adding that the impact of the virus is bound to get worse for African airlines.

So far, African countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal have recorded the cases of the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that countries with poor healthcare systems may not be able to cop, hence, it has advised such countries to immediately put in place measures to prevent the menace.