Business and tourism in South Asia are increasingly being hit by airline inactivity caused by the spread of volcanic ash from Iceland. The export of garments and perishable goods from the region to Europe has been severely affected, as has the tourism industry in South Asia.No country in the region has escaped from the economic impact of the crisis.But officials say the priority is dealing with thousands of people across the region who are unable to fly.A spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines told the BBC that he expected the company to lose up to $25m because of flight cancellations to Europe.
Tourism in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives has also been badly damaged. For Nepal and Bhutan the crisis is even more serious because this time of the year is peak season. Meanwhile, exporters in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have borne the brunt of exporting losses.
Huge consignments of garments in Dhaka and Colombo are waiting to be loaded onto aircraft. In Bangladesh an estimated 350,000kg of garments is stockpiled at the airport."We are worried that buyers may reject these shipments because they are so late," Bangladesh Garments and Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Abdus Salam Murshedy said.
According to figures from the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 41,435 passengers have been affected by the flights crisis and it will take several days to clear the backlog.
(Source: BBC)
No comments:
Post a Comment