In 2023, The Government of Ghana last year announced plans to launch a new national airline Ghana Airlines which was supposed to take flight that year.
The airline was expected to launch by June 2023 but so far, there hasn’t been any news and there appears to be some controversy with the deal.
Background
Ghana has taken steps to launch its new airlines by awarding Ashanti Airlines Limited (AAL), and financial backers, Zotus Group, a tender to begin operations in 2023.
Ashanti Airlines is a subsidiary of the country’s Despite Group conglomerate with the UK-based Zotus Group describing itself as “an organisation dedicated to the development of humanitarian projects and transforming Africa and third world countries”, with a portfolio spanning areas such as hydrocarbons, manufacturing, and agriculture.
According to an article by Times Aerospace, the ground had yet to be awarded its Airline Operator’s Certificate (AOC) by Ghana’s aviation regulator as of June 2023.
Controversy
A Ghanaian airline executive, speaking on conditions of anonymity, expressed reservations over the current deal. They stated that Ashanti Airlines had been trying to get its AOC for six years and that his understanding was that the government had made possessing an AOC a prerequisite for being awarded the contract to set up the new national airline.
Zoom Out
Daily Graphic, a local publication, reported that AAL currently has no aircraft, no license, and is without the financial strength for the business.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport (MoT), Mabel Sagoe, in response to Daily Graphic’s publication, stated the airline was progressing steadily acquiring the air operators’ certificate to start operations by the third quarter of this year.
There has no be update on whether this acquisition has been successful.
Between The Lines
According to an anonymous source, Ghana’s National Airline Committee has “lost confidence” in AAL to revive Ghana’s national airlines. They stated issues including the inability of the firm to secure an airline operating certificate and acquire an aircraft nearly two years after winning the bid.
The committee is reportedly re-engaging with other airlines and firms that participated in the bidding process, to resubmit their bids.
The Big Picture
Ghana has been without a national carrier to operate international flights since 2004 when Ghana Airways ceased operations.
Its successor, Ghana International Airlines, which started operations in 2005, also shut down in 2010.
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