Air transport contributes 3.5% – US$12bn – to South Africa’s GDP

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released data which reveals that the South African air transportation sector is responsible for contributing US$12bn to the country’s GDP, while providing employment for approximately 490,000 people if tourism-related jobs are also included. The figures were revealed in a study conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of IATA titled “The Importance of Air Transport to South Africa”.
On his first visit to South Africa in his new capacity as IATA’s Regional Vice President for the Middle East & Africa, Muhammad Ali Albakri commented that: “The study confirms the vital role of air transport in facilitating over US$110 billion in exports, some US$140 billion in foreign direct investment and around US$9.2 billion in inbound leisure and business tourism for South Africa. Now with the country in recession it’s time to re-double efforts to promote South Africa as a destination for business, trade and tourism.”
He then added that: “Affordable, safe and reliable air transport is crucial to economic growth. It promotes skills development and is a catalyst for jobs. We urge the South African Government to remove any impediments, including unnecessary red-tape and policies that hinder air connectivity and the trade, investment, tourism and job opportunities it facilitates and stimulates.”
About 390,000 aircraft take off and land at one of South Africa’s principal airports every year. Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport is the country’s busiest with over 220,000 aircraft movements in the last year, and over 20 million travelers passing through in the same period.
While in Johannesburg, Mr. Albakri is meeting with key industry stakeholders from South Africa’s government, the South African Civil Aviation Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Air Traffic Navigation Services, IATA member airlines in the country, and IATA’s sub-regional sister organization, the Airlines’ Association of Southern Africa.