With a strong rebound in demand for 2021-2022, African routes fully reopened since February, and an ambition to accelerate operations on the continent, Badr Abbas, Emirates senior vice-president in charge of Africa’s commercial operations, is both positive and on the offensive.
“Africa accounted for 8% of our 2021-2022 revenues [$18.1bn, according to results published in early May], despite the extension of restrictions in key markets such as South Africa, and we expect this [revenue] to increase this year, with the lifting of these restrictions,” he told us at the end of May.
Connecting ‘Africa to the rest of the world’
While Emirates, like its direct competitor Qatar Airways, has built its presence on the continent thanks to its Dubai hub’s ideal position between Africa and Asia, restrictions and quotas persist for flights to Asia, particularly China. However, the airline has played
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