Demand for international flights picking up after coronavirus setback - Report

Although the coronavirus situation in most parts of the world remains fluid, the demand for international flights in Ghana is picking up.

According to the local aviation industry monitor, AviationGhana, major international airlines such as Emirates, Ethiopian, Turkish and Asky among others are gradually recording increasing passenger load factor (PLF).

“The load factor, an indicator that measures the percentage of available seating capacity that is filled with passengers, now ranges between 50 and 70 per cent for some international airlines servicing the Kotoka International Airport.

“Emirates Country Manager, Catherine Wesley, told AviationGhana that demand is recovering and anticipates it will continue, going into the Christmas holidays,” the online portal reports.

According to the report, the Emirates Country Manager said the flight is seeing promising signs of recovery in demand in Ghana, and this is expected to grow as the end of the year draws close.

“As an airline, we will continue to offer more connectivity choices for our customers as demand picks up across our network,” she was quoted in the report.

Emirates currently operates three flights out of the Kotoka International Airport on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays with a stop in Abidjan.

However, pre-COVID-19 routing and offer direct service between Accra and Dubai is scheduled to start on December 2, 2020.

Travel restrictions in Ghana and across the globe in a bid to stop the spread of the virus decimated the aviation industry.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global revenue losses for the industry ranges between $63 billion and $113 billion.