29th Sep 2020 | Adwoa Sasu
Qatar Airways has finally started operations into Ghana after several attempts in the past to launch the Accra – Doha route.
Its first commercial passenger flight was welcomed today in Accra (KIA) by the Ghana Airports Company Limited. This maiden flight had a passenger load of about sixty (60) landing in Accra today the 29th of September, 2020.
Qatar Airways will operate four weekly flights from Accra through Lagos to Doha. The airline announced an expansion of their network in Africa with four weekly flights to Accra from September 29, 2020. The carrier will service the Accra leg with a state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner configured with 22 Business Class and 232 Economy Class Seats. Qatar Airways’ guests travelling from Ghana can now enjoy seamless connectivity via Hamad International Airport to over 28 destinations in the Asia-Pacific, 31 in Europe, 12 in the Middle East and nine in North America.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Qatar Airways Group’s Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “We are delighted to be launching flights to the capital of Ghana, one of the fastest-growing economies in the region famed for its local hospitality and highly sought after agricultural exports. We first announced our intention to launch flights to Accra in January 2020 and while the pandemic has slightly delayed these plans, it has not stopped us from fulfilling our commitment to passengers in Ghana and around the world. With the strong Ghanaian diaspora especially in Europe, the UK and U.S. we are thankful to the Ghanaian Government for their support in helping us to launch these flights providing an opportunity to reunite family and friends with their loved ones. We look forward to working closely with our partners in Ghana to steadily grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region.”
Interviewing the Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, he said, “We are very happy because it is coming in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the re-opening of the air borders. It is an indication of the confidence we have in what is going on in Ghana and the aviation sector”. The minister further went on to invite the airline formally to create a hub in Ghana, “hub for the West African Sub Region, where they can fly into Ghana and fly into any other country in West Africa and Africa as a whole”. He also encouraged them to invest into the Ghanaian Aviation sector, for example “the salary areas, especially the aviation training organizations, maintenance and engineering”.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC), Yoofi Grant, also was confident that, the country was well-positioned to bring in more investors for development. He stated that, “It’s been two years of fruitful engagements with the State of Qatar. The investment potential is huge and indeed, Ghana is opened for business,” he added.
The managing director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited also showed his enthusiasm that the airline had finally made inroads and had started their operations to Ghana.
Source: gh-aviation
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