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 West Africa is struggling with the worst Ebola outbreak since the
disease was identified in 1976, with 3,338 people known to have
died, predominantly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Senegal, according
to latest figures.
Emirates, one of the world's largest carriers, has helped Dubai
become a global aviation hub, and the city is a major stop-over
point for Asian customers traveling to Africa.
"There are indications that demand in the east is coming off a
little bit because of the perception that Ebola is Africa-wide," Tim
Clark, Emirates president, told an Africa-focused investment event
in Dubai.
"There are segments of our business in China, Taiwan, Vietnam
etcetera that are fairly cautious about what they are doing, but for
every one of those we lose, we're filling with something else."
Emirates in August suspended flights to Guinea, where the ongoing
Ebola outbreak originated, but has continued flying to other
affected destinations. Clark said the airline was not considering
halting any other African routes.
Emirates staff look for signs that passengers may be unwell, but
otherwise the airline is not taking any other extra precautions for
Ebola.
"We don't have armies of people as we had with the SARS virus for
instance – that was a pandemic that was far greater than Ebola in
its spreading contagion," Clark told reporters on the sidelines of
the event.
"But we're not providing our crews with masks because it (Ebola)
will be controlled."
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Emirates flies to about 22 destinations in Africa, he said,
predicting it could add another 10 to the continent by 2025 as well
as raising the frequency of flights on some existing routes.
"We're looking at Mozambique," said Clark. "Where you see oil and
gas discovery, (it) has got to be of interest for people like
ourselves. We can connect the oil and gas human resource. We can
connect the cargo into the oil and gas fields. A lot of the stuff
travels by air. We're constantly looking for opportunities."
(Writing by David French; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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