Muhammad al-Bakri, vice president of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the Africa and Middle East region, announced that airlines until March 11 had lost revenues of $ 7.2 billion. >
According to ArabiaNet, Al-Bakri said that since the end of January, 16,000 passenger flights in the Middle East have been canceled.
Al-Bakri pointed out that the Corona virus cost Bahrain basic revenues of $ 200 million, and could result in a loss of 5,000 jobs.
He explained that approximately 20,000 jobs in the aviation sector in Kuwait may be lost due to Corona, and that the virus threatens 33,000 jobs in the aviation sector in Qatar.
IATA Vice President added that Saudi Arabia may lose 16 million passengers and $ 3.1 billion in basic revenue and more than 140,000 jobs in the aviation sector are threatened by Corona.
Al-Bakri said that the UAE may lose 13.6 million passengers and basic revenue of $ 2.8 billion, and there are 163,000 jobs in the aviation sector threatened by Corona.
He pointed out that the Corona virus in Egypt may result in 6.3 million passengers not traveling, losing about a billion dollars in basic revenues, and threatening 138,000 jobs.
He noted that more than 225,000 aviation jobs are at risk because of Corona.
He emphasized that airlines in the Middle East were facing a liquidity crisis, and suggested that governments provide direct financial support to airlines in the Middle East.
He explained that Saudi Arabia and Morocco have temporarily eliminated requirements related to airlines ’airlines.
He noted that lower fuel costs are helping airlines, but it is not enough to offset the losses of the Corona Virus.
