The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a statement dated Thursday, August 19, informs that approximately $963 million in airline funds are prevented from being repatriated in nearly 20 countries around the world, mainly in Africa.

Airlines are still having trouble repatriating revenue from ticket sales and other activities in some parts of the world. In this area, Africa remains the poor student, a situation that gives rise to increased fears for the future of carriers in this time of crisis. Nearly 30% of these funds are sequestered by Zimbabwe ($142.7 million) and Nigeria ($143.8 million). In the top 4 worst performers in the field, the two African countries are outclassed by Lebanon ($175.5 million) and Bangladesh ($146.1 million). Although progress has been made in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in recent times, the Association recalls that this unjustified withholding of airline revenues raises concerns for the survival of carriers. At the African level, the institution, which includes more than 290 airlines, indicated last March that around 601 million dollars are still blocked in 17 African countries for various reasons. In addition to the two African nations mentioned above, IATA also indexes Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, Sudan, Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Chad,