Ghana’s ambition of becoming West Africa’s regional financial, economic and tourist hub received a shot in the arm today as the government took concrete steps towards the reviving of its national carrier; Ghana Airways. This is through series of agreements reached today on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show with the signing of three significant aviation deals. This is coming after the country hosted the homecoming for the Africa Diaspora from around the world which attracted thousands of people from the Africa Diaspora to Ghana this year. The first agreement was with Boeing Corporation for three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with a list price value of $877.5 million according to list prices. The move is to help the country fast-track the establishment of its national carrier. Add to that, the government also signed a deal with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada to procure six Dash8-400 aircraft.

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As a follow up to the Memorandum of Understanding to acquire the three B787-9 aircraft, the Ghanaian government equally announced its intent to purchase GEnx-1B engines for the three Boeing 787 Dreamliners that will be used to re-launch an airline. According to company sources, the engine order is valued at more than $150 million list price.

Speaking on the development, the Ghanaian Minister of Aviation Joseph Kofi Adda said that there is a growing demand for air travel to and from Ghana and the government believe the advanced 787-9 Dreamliner gives them an efficient and flexible machine to launch a regional network and eventually serve international destinations in the future. He noted that the 787 has an excellent reputation for its operational performance, fuel efficiency and passenger experience and “we are confident that we have the right partner for our new carrier.”

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Mr Adda said the carrier, to be based in Accra, would establish the capital city as a strategic hub that serves cities across West Africa. Future routes would include destinations in Europe, North America and Asia and the long-term plan is to open the airline to private investment and operation.

Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company Ihssane Mounir said, “Africa boasts a growing, young workforce and vast natural resources. We see the demand for air travel continuing to rise across the continent. Boeing is honored to work with Ghana in helping re-launch an airline to serve this vast market.”

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He added, “We look forward to working with the government on an integrated solution that includes the 787-9 Dreamliner and aviation services to support the new airline and provide a superior experience for its future passengers.” The General Manager of GEnx Mahendra Nair was quoted as saying that GE Aviation is honored to provide GEnx engines for the new 787 Dreamliners that Ghana will acquire to re-launch a national carrier, noting that “The GEnx engine has proven itself with the highest reliability and utilization rates that benefit our customers, and we look forward to working with Ghana as the country progresses on its strategy to re-enter the aviation industry.”

The plan to reestablish a national flag carrier has been in the works for some time now. The newly signed by the Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Addah is expected to further the dream to see a new national airline take to the skies. The 787-9 is part of a family of three airplanes that offer long ranges and unmatched fuel efficiency in the 200 to 350 seat market. The 787-9 can carry 296 passengers and fly up to 7,530 nautical miles (13,950 kms), while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent compared to older airplanes. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has enabled the opening of more than 250 new point-to-point routes and saved 45 billion pounds of fuel.

“GE Aviation is honored to provide GEnx engines for the new 787 Dreamliners that Ghana will acquire to re-launch a national carrier,” said Mahendra Nair, general manager of the GEnx program. “The GEnx engine has proven itself with the highest reliability and utilization rates that benefit our customers, and we look forward to working with Ghana as the country progresses on its strategy to re-enter the aviation industry.”

The plan to reestablish a national flag carrier has been in the works for some time now. The newly signed by the Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Addah is expected to further the dream to see a new national airline take to the skies as Ghana works assiduously towards being West Africa business and economy hub.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.