Airlines cut West Africa flights

Travel and imports of perishable cargo into Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia are being disrupted as a result of the Ebola outbreak On August 2 Emirates became the first international airline to suspend all flights to Conakry until further notice. It was followed by British Airways, which has cancelled all flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone until August 31. Other major airlines serving Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia include Royal Air Maroc and Brussels Airlines, while Air France serves Guinea and Sierra Leone, and British Airways serves Sierra Leone and Liberia. Air France, which serves most West African nations, has imposed special rules for people boarding in Conakry and Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone. Regionally, Nigerian airline Arik Air has temporarily suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Asky, a Togo-based airline, has suspended flights. It has announced that it has also stopped transporting food from Conakry, Guinea. The suspension comes after an Asky passenger died from the virus after flying from Liberia to Nigeria. SAA is, however, continuing to fly to Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire. According to Robert Besseling, principal Sub- Saharan Africa Analyst at IHS Country Risk, most of the mining companies in the region report that mine, port and rail operations are unaffected so far, although various precautions have been taken, including frequent medical checks, the imposition of travel restrictions, and the evacuation of non-essential staff. “Mineral exports, including iron ore and diamonds, are increasingly likely to face disruption if mining companies place local workers on leave,” he warns. CAPTION Emirates was the first airline to suspend flights to Conakry