The government of Algeria has approved the acquisition of additional 15 new aircraft for the country’s national airline, Air Algerie.
The cabinet authorized the purchase to open new routes to African and Asian destinations, Algerian State TV said on Sunday, citing a cabinet statement.
Algeria’s number of air passengers carried was at the level of 1.46 million in 2020, down from 6.75 million the previous year, a 78.38% change.
Algeria recorded a total of 591,000 tourists in 2020, ranking 120th in the world in absolute terms, according to WorldData.info.
The tourism sector in Algeria accounts for 3.9 per cent of exports, 9.5 per cent of the productive investment rate, and 8.1 per cent of the gross domestic product.
Air Algerie is one of the few formidable state-owned enterprises in Africa. Others are Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopia’s Ethiopian Airlines, and Afriqiyah Airways. There has been an argument over whether national carriers are maintained as national pride or as public enterprises positioned for profit.
The news of 15 new aircraft for Air Algerie comes at a time when aviation is almost at a rock bottom state in most African countries.