RSS 2.0 FeedJune 2010 Vol 6, African Airlines
Virgin Atlantic Makes Inaugural Flight To Accra
The inaugural flight of Virgin Atlantic, a British airline, from London to Accra touched down at the Kotoka International Airport at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, with a clear message of offering British Airways and Ghana International Airline keen competition on the Accra-London-Accra route.
The
240-seater Airbus A 340 aircraft, which is Virgin's fifth entrance to Africa, will fly three times weekly from the Heathrow Airport to the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
The President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, who was aboard the inaugural flight of the brightly-coloured red and silver aircraft, told journalists on arrival that “we are delighted to offer British Airways a very strong competition”.
British Airways and Ghana International Airline are the only airlines flying the Accra-London-Accra route directly, with the former flying five times weekly and the latter four times weekly.
The entrance of Virgin Atlantic brings to 28 the number of commercial and cargo carriers currently operating in Ghana's aviation industry, and deeply underlines the growing stature of the country's aviation sector, propelled by a combination of factors, including political stability, thriving democracy and, lately, high prospects of a booming oil economy.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is owned by Sir Branson's Virgin Group (51 per cent) and Singapore Airlines (49 per cent).
The airline is part of a huge business empire comprising 360 companies owned by Sir Branson, who is acclaimed as the 261st richest man in the world, with an estimated net wealth of £2.6 billion ($3.9 billion), according to Forbes 2009 list of billionaires.
The operation of the London-Accra route will offer air travellers an opportunity to join about 5.8 million people worldwide who fly Virgin Atlantic annually and enable them to savour the comfort and luxury the airline offers.
Sir Branson expressed gratitude to the government and people of Ghana for the warm reception accorded Virgin Atlantic on its arrival in Accra. He lauded Ghana's growing culture of democracy and said it was a major reason why Virgin Atlantic decided to fly to Accra.
Ghana's Transport Minister, Mr Mike Hammah, said the decision of Virgin Atlantic to operate in Ghana was an indication of the increasing confidence that international civil aviation had in the country's aviation industry.
He said Ghana's aviation industry had enjoyed a steady growth in recent years, pointing out that 'this has been made possible as a result of the stable political, social and economic climate that the country is enjoying and also the liberalisation of the aviation industry through the implementation of the Open Skies Policy in Ghana'.
Hammah expressed the hope that the management of Virgin Atlantic would consider the possibility of venturing into charter operations to help boost the country's tourism industry.
He said the Kotoka International Airport and some of the regional airports would continue to undergo systematic facelift through infrastructure rehabilitation and the installation of new navigation and surveillance equipment.
The President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, who was aboard the inaugural flight of the brightly-coloured red and silver aircraft, told journalists on arrival that “we are delighted to offer British Airways a very strong competition”.
British Airways and Ghana International Airline are the only airlines flying the Accra-London-Accra route directly, with the former flying five times weekly and the latter four times weekly.
The entrance of Virgin Atlantic brings to 28 the number of commercial and cargo carriers currently operating in Ghana's aviation industry, and deeply underlines the growing stature of the country's aviation sector, propelled by a combination of factors, including political stability, thriving democracy and, lately, high prospects of a booming oil economy.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited (operating as Virgin Atlantic) is owned by Sir Branson's Virgin Group (51 per cent) and Singapore Airlines (49 per cent).
The airline is part of a huge business empire comprising 360 companies owned by Sir Branson, who is acclaimed as the 261st richest man in the world, with an estimated net wealth of £2.6 billion ($3.9 billion), according to Forbes 2009 list of billionaires.
The operation of the London-Accra route will offer air travellers an opportunity to join about 5.8 million people worldwide who fly Virgin Atlantic annually and enable them to savour the comfort and luxury the airline offers.
Sir Branson expressed gratitude to the government and people of Ghana for the warm reception accorded Virgin Atlantic on its arrival in Accra. He lauded Ghana's growing culture of democracy and said it was a major reason why Virgin Atlantic decided to fly to Accra.
Ghana's Transport Minister, Mr Mike Hammah, said the decision of Virgin Atlantic to operate in Ghana was an indication of the increasing confidence that international civil aviation had in the country's aviation industry.
He said Ghana's aviation industry had enjoyed a steady growth in recent years, pointing out that 'this has been made possible as a result of the stable political, social and economic climate that the country is enjoying and also the liberalisation of the aviation industry through the implementation of the Open Skies Policy in Ghana'.
Hammah expressed the hope that the management of Virgin Atlantic would consider the possibility of venturing into charter operations to help boost the country's tourism industry.
He said the Kotoka International Airport and some of the regional airports would continue to undergo systematic facelift through infrastructure rehabilitation and the installation of new navigation and surveillance equipment.
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