Africa: towards a gradual restart of air transport in June

Text by: Olivier Rogez Follow | Charlotte Idrac Follow | Sébastien Nemeth Follow | Claire Bargelès Follow | Pierre Pinto Follow

Since the start of the pandemic, airlines have been stopped and African airports have been deserted. Except for the flights intended for the repatriation of their nationals, as well as the cargo flights, the States asked the companies to stop their activities. The month of June should mark the restart of certain passenger air routes. But the recovery promises to be long.

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• Senegal

Air routes are closed from March 21 to May 31. But it is not yet known whether the measure will be extended or not in June. The national airline, Air Senegal could resume its connection to Marseille in early July via Barcelona. In May, it set up a weekly repatriation flight every Wednesday from Paris. 

• Ivory Coast

Air Côte d'Ivoire, which has stopped its air routes, has not yet announced a resumption date. On the other hand, several foreign companies are already opening reservations for flights to and from Abidjan. Ethiopian Airlines from June 2, Corsair from June 23, Brussels Airlines from June 15. Dates subject to change.

• Mali

International flights are suspended, as are those of the local company Afrikayes. No recovery date has been announced. 

• Burkina Faso

Stopped since March 29, Air Burkina has put its staff on technical unemployment for three months from May 15, which suggests a cessation of activities until mid-August. 

• Togo 

Pan-African company Asky, based in Lomé, has stopped and has not yet announced resumption of passenger flights 

• Kenya

Since March 25, the government has suspended international flights. Domestic flights are suspended to and from the areas most affected by the virus (Nairobi and several counties on the coast). No date for the resumption of international flights has been announced. 

• Sudan

Sudanese civil aviation has closed airports since March 16. With the exception of humanitarian flights and cargo flights, no connection is ensured. The measure has been extended until May 31. 

• South Sudan

Since May 12, airspace has been reopened and international flights have resumed at regional level at least. All foreigners entering the territory must provide a medical certificate stating that they do not have the coronavirus and spend 14 days in quarantine upon arrival.

• Somalia

After a 48-hour reopening of international flights on March 21, Somalia has again suspended international flights until further notice. 

• Ethiopia

On March 21, Ethiopian Airlines, the first airline in Africa suspended passenger flights to 30 destinations abroad before expanding it on March 31 to 80 destinations. But the company announces deadlines, suggesting a return of traffic, depending however on decisions made by the authorities of the countries concerned. 
-To Angola-Luanda, flights suspended until May 25
-To Chad-Ndjamena, flights suspended until May 31
-To Guinea-Conakry, flights suspended until June 6
-To Kenya-Nairobi, flights suspended until May 6
- To Madagascar-Antananarivo, flights suspended until June 4 -
To Mozambique-Maputo, flights suspended until May 31 -
To Namibia-Windhoec, flights suspended until June 2 -
To Dakar-Senegal, flights suspended until May 31 -
To Sudan-Khartoum, flights suspended until May 31

• Djibouti

Since March 18, all international flights arriving and departing from Ambouli airport have been suspended until further notice.

• Eritrea

Since March 25, all passenger flights have been suspended.  

• South Africa 

South Africa is in level four of containment, which still does not allow the resumption of passenger air links. Level three will allow it for domestic connections and level two for international connections. No date has yet been set. Some European companies expect a reopening of routes to South Africa in June. This is the case for the German Lufthansa.

• Zimbabwe 

Passenger flights are still suspended until further notice. The local low-cost company, Fastjet Zimbabwe, for example, canceled its flights until at least the end of June.

• Botswana 

Containment ended in Botswana on May 21. However, the entry ban for foreign travelers remains for the time being. 

• Mozambique 

Until May 31, Mozambique does not accept any air links. Nothing has yet been announced for June. 

• Namibia 

As of May 5, domestic flights are again permitted. As for international connections, Air Namibia is counting on June 30, but the decision is up to government authorities. 

• Air France 

The French company announces its program to resume flights to Africa for the month of June, subject to the lifting of travel restrictions in the countries served. Connections will resume on June 2 to Cotonou, Douala and Yaoundé for passenger flights. Abidjan, and Bamako for cargo flights. Nouakchott and Conakry will only be sold to Paris during the month of June.

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• Aeronautics
• Senegal
• Kenya
• Ivory Coast
• South Africa
• Namibia
• Mali
• Burkina Faso
• Togo
• Sudan
• Somalia
• Ethiopia
• Transport

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