This year’s Annual Economic Report has outlined that between January and June this year, the aviation industry may have lost up to K1.5 billion due to financial challenges amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Since Malawi, like her African counterparts, halted international flights due to the pandemic, companies like travel agencies and air services providers have been suffering and therefore laying off staff.

The pandemic aside, passenger traffic recorded an 18% drop in 2019, attributed to the renovations of the main runway at Chileka International Airport which took place from March to December. Using smaller craft on an alternate runway, the renovation limited the number of air services into Blantyre. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works has recommended that airports should open for international flights in Malawi, on July 15. The development has followed not long after the National Planning Taskforce on education called on the Presidential Taskforce to consider reopening Schools, Colleges and Universities on 13 July, 2020.