Ethiopian Airlines resumes Windhoek flights
Less passengers in the air
14 September 2020 | Transport
Passenger client volumes declined to 80% globally due to travel bans and restrictions that were imposed as a result of Covid-19, Namibia Airports Company (NAC) board chairperson Leake Hangala said.
Speaking at the Ethiopian Airlines resumption flight that landed in Windhoek on Friday, Hangala said that because of the pandemic, movement of passengers harmed NAC’s revenue stream for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue. “Revenues and cash inflows have reduced by 96%, averaging N$41 million per month. This has resulted in a complete erosion of revenue at NAC. Equally important, the impact of Covid-19 also resulted in the direct shedding of employment in the travel and tourism industry,” he said.
Hangala added that all the negative effects of the pandemic will hamper the recovery of the entire aviation ecosystem.
“We would like to reassure the flying public that your safety is very close to our hearts and that is why we have put in place vigorous and appropriate measures to ensure adherence to Covid-19 protocols. These measures include the mandatory wearing of masks, hand sanitising, social distancing, and increased hygiene. In order to avoid inconveniences, we are calling upon all our passengers [leaving the country] to arrive at least three hours earlier,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Ethiopian Airlines area manager Tsige Gebresilassie said Windhoek is among the 62 destinations in Africa the airline has been serving. “Since launching its first flight to Windhoek in 2016, Ethiopian Airlines has been providing four weekly passenger services connecting Namibia to various countries in Africa and the rest of the world by deploying its ultramodern fleet with an average age of around five years.” – Nampa
Speaking at the Ethiopian Airlines resumption flight that landed in Windhoek on Friday, Hangala said that because of the pandemic, movement of passengers harmed NAC’s revenue stream for both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue. “Revenues and cash inflows have reduced by 96%, averaging N$41 million per month. This has resulted in a complete erosion of revenue at NAC. Equally important, the impact of Covid-19 also resulted in the direct shedding of employment in the travel and tourism industry,” he said.
Hangala added that all the negative effects of the pandemic will hamper the recovery of the entire aviation ecosystem.
“We would like to reassure the flying public that your safety is very close to our hearts and that is why we have put in place vigorous and appropriate measures to ensure adherence to Covid-19 protocols. These measures include the mandatory wearing of masks, hand sanitising, social distancing, and increased hygiene. In order to avoid inconveniences, we are calling upon all our passengers [leaving the country] to arrive at least three hours earlier,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, Ethiopian Airlines area manager Tsige Gebresilassie said Windhoek is among the 62 destinations in Africa the airline has been serving. “Since launching its first flight to Windhoek in 2016, Ethiopian Airlines has been providing four weekly passenger services connecting Namibia to various countries in Africa and the rest of the world by deploying its ultramodern fleet with an average age of around five years.” – Nampa
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