Competitors within the Aviation Business in Ghana is ready to be keener as South African Airways (SAA) on Tuesday, re-launched its operations in Ghana after eight months break.
That is on account of the outbreak of the COVID-19 and related restrictions imposed on air journey and closure of some airports internationally.
The re-entry of the SAA into the Ghanaian market was marked by an inaugural flight of its SA 052 airplane from Johannesburg to Accra on Tuesday.
Precisely at 10.54 pm, the Airbus 320 with the capability to hold 126 passengers arrived on the Kotoka Worldwide Airport amidst cultural show, jubilation, presentation of items to the passengers who disembarked from the airplane with a fountain of water poured on the airplane to symbolically mark is inaugural flight to Accra.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah in a speech learn on his behalf by his Deputy, Hasan Tampuli, stated the re-entry of the SAA into the Ghanaian market was well timed and recommended the administration of the corporate for the choice.
“SAA is re-entering the Ghanaian market on the time when the coronavirus illness has eased and there’s a choose up within the aviation trade,” he stated.
Mr Asiamah pledged that the federal government would create the enabling surroundings for the expansion of the aviation trade in Ghana.
“The federal government will proceed to speculate infrastructure and lead in coverage course to advertise the operations of airways and the aviation trade,” Mr Asiamah, stated.
The minister urged SAA to maintain the COVID-19 security measures and protocols to guard its clients and to assist construct the arrogance of travellers.
The Nation Supervisor of SAA, Mrs Gloria Wilkinson Mensah stated the operation of the corporate within the nation was suspended in March 2020 as a result of lockdown and closure of the Kotoka Worldwide Airport to include the unfold of the coronavirus illness.
She stated the re-entry of the corporate to the Ghanaian market would facilitate the motion of air travels from Ghana to South Africa.
“The flying of SAA on the Johannesburg-Accra route will present seamless and brief journey time from Ghana to South Africa and scale back the greater than 13 hours it at present takes to fly from Ghana to South Africa through Japanese Africa and Center East, to lower than six hours,” Mrs Mensah, stated.
The South African Excessive Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanette Mason stated re-entry of SAA in Ghana would assist facilitate and increase bilateral co-operation and commerce between Ghana and South Africa.
She stated it could facilitate travelling between Ghana and South Africa.
Ms Mason indicated that the target of the administration of SAA was to construct a sustainable airline enterprise and foster efficiency excellence and promote good governance practices within the operations of the corporate.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Firm Restricted (GACL), Yaw Kwakwa recommended the administration of SAA for making the re-opening of the corporate’s operations in Ghana a actuality.
He pledged that the GACL would work with stakeholders to make flying straightforward within the nation.
The Director Common of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mr Charles Kraikue urged the corporate to proceed to maintain to its excessive security and safety requirements because it resumed operations within the nation.