Ethiopian Airlines Group has lost over $190 million as the impact of the coronavirus on global travel hurts Africa’s only consistently profitable airline.
“Under the current situation, it is facing huge challenges,” Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a televised address to the public on Saturday.
The carrier has suspended flights to 30 destinations as demand collapses and some countries impose travel bans to try and contain the deadly pandemic. Aviation is one of the hardest hit industries by the virus, facing billions of dollars of lost revenue.
In Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, the coronavirus will be a “huge burden” on the economy, Abiy said, adding that the government will impose economic measures to help the most vulnerable.
