It is unlikely that air traffic on the continent will return to pre-Covid-19 levels until at least 2023. (Getty Images) It is unlikely that air traffic on the continent will return to pre-Covid-19 levels until at least 2023. This is the view of the new regional vice-president for Africa and the Middle East of the International Air Transport Association. Pandemic financial relief the global airline body recorded on the continent did not include SAA's rescue process. It is unlikely that air traffic on the continent will return to pre-Covid-19 levels until at least 2023. This is according to Kamil Al-Awadhi, the new regional vice-president for Africa and the Middle East of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).