IATA has reported that US1,3 billion R23,2bn in airline funds are blocked from repatriation by governments as of the end of April. This represents a 25 improvement compared with the US1,7 billion R30,4bn reported for October 2024.
However, Mozambiquehas climbed to the top of blocked funds countries, withholding US205m R3,6bn from airlines, compared with US127 million R2,2bn in October 2024. Africa and Middle East accounts for 85 of total blocked funds, at US1,1 billion R19,6bn as of the end of April.
IATA urged governments to remove all barriers preventing airlines from the timely repatriation of their revenues from ticket sales and other activities in accordance with international agreements and treaty obligations.
'Ensuring the timely repatriation of revenues is vital for airlines to cover dollar-denominated expenses and maintain their operations. Delays and denials violate bilateral agreements and increase exchange rate risks. Reliable access to revenues is critical for any business, particularly airlines, which operate on very thin margins, said Willie Walsh , IATA Director General.
The following 10 countries account for 80 of the total blocked funds, amounting to US1,03 billion R18,4bn: