The Middle East records a million loss in aviation due to Corona

by **RamblerNash** on Sat Oct 03, 2020 7:22 am

Time: 2020/10/01 21:06:24

{Miscellaneous: Al Furat News} The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned of the exacerbation of the damage caused by the Corona virus and its repercussions on the air transport sector, represented by the suspension of air traffic, according to new data published today by the ATAG Air Transport Working Group of which the Union is a member :

The Middle East region is expected to lose about 1.7 million jobs in the air transport sector and related sectors during the year 2020, and this number represents about half of the 3.3 million jobs associated with the air transport sector in the region.

The loss of about 323,000 jobs, specifically in the air transport sector alone, in the year 2020, and this number represents about 46% of the total number of 595,000 jobs in the region.

The GDP supported by the air transport sector in the region will lose about $ 105 billion, which will be 49% less than the levels of support for total GDP before the Corona pandemic.

In this regard, Mohamed Ali Al-Bakri, Vice President of the International Air Transport Association in Africa and the Middle East, said: “These results indicate the urgent necessity to restart the air transport sector in the Middle East region. Prior to this global pandemic, the sector’s contribution reached $ 213 billion to the region’s total GDP. The suspension of flights reduced that value drastically, to just $ 108 billion. And that this loss will have dire consequences, the most prominent of which is the loss of 1.7 million jobs. Therefore, the International Air Transport Association stresses the need for collective action and restarting the sector with a balance between protecting citizens from the Coronavirus and the economic aspects and repercussions affecting the citizens of the countries of the region.

Al-Bakri added: “The quarantine procedures and the multiplicity of risk assessment methodologies and the continuous changes to them impede the sector’s recovery phase and hinder its ability to support social and economic development. A unified approach to the Corona screening tests will enable the Middle East region to reconnect with the world and achieve a speedy recovery for the air transport industry in the region. Middle East for the sector to continue to contribute to rebuilding the economies of countries in the region ».

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