This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
On 18th May 2020, Tanzania opened its airspace in a bid to revive the tourism and hospitality industry, which had been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first airline to resume flights was Ethiopian Airlines, which began carrying passengers on 1st June, followed by Qatar Airways on 16th June.
According to Hamza Johari, Director General of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, Emirates will resume flights on 15th July 2020. KLM is also set to resume operations on the same date, 30th June.
As part of the efforts to revive the tourism industry, Tanzania has also allowed sports and other related activities to resume, making it the first African country to do so. However, children and the elderly have been barred from attending these events, and fans are required to wear face masks, wash their hands, and observe social distancing rules once inside the grounds.
Elsewhere, Egypt is set to reopen all its airports and resume international flights from 1st July 2020, after the World Travel and Tourism Council granted it a safe travel stamp. International flights have been suspended in Egypt since 19th March 2020, when the country took the step to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The resumption of flights in Egypt seeks to attract foreign tourists to three provinces with the least coronavirus infections; South Sinai, the Red Sea, and Matrouh. Furthermore, Egypt's government has waived tourist visas from 1st July until 31st October 2020, with a 20% discount on tickets offered to travelers on Egyptian airlines.
