African aviation has now recovered to 93% of Pre-COVID levels

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed that the African aviation industry has recovered 93 percent from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is right to focus on the development of the African market.

IATA says that the industry at large is making significant progress and recovering from the effects of the pandemic. After a difficult period (2020-2022), a return to profitability is expected for the global airline industry in 2023. Airlines may start to post small net profits this year, and passenger numbers may return to pre-pandemic levels.

Post-pandemic recovery by region

The situation in Africa is a lot better than the industry overall. However, a lot of the activity is on the international market. Domestic travel is 20 percent, while international air travel contributes 80 percent. Cargo demands in Africa significantly exceeded figures in 2020. Passenger figures in most regions have also surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

The positive recovery is not the same across the entire continent. Some regions in Africa are recovering much faster than others. Some regions started to recover in 2022, while some are expected to recover this year, and the rest will be expected to recover in the next two years.