Ghana Airways, state owned airline of Ghana. Still in the company books.
Ghana International Airlines (GIA) was the national airline of the Republic of Ghana. The airline suspended operations on 13 May 2010.
GIA operated scheduled and charter passenger and cargo services. Its main base was Kotoka International Airport, Accra |
Founding of Airlines of GhanaGhana Airways Limited was the national airline of the Republic of Ghana with its main base of operation, and hub, at Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
The airline ceased operations in 2004, but was to be revived during 2010 as a partnership between the government of Ghana and Arik Air of Nigeria |
Ghana Airways was founded on 4 July 1958 by the government of Ghana with start up capital of ₤400,000; the government holding a 60 percent stake, with BOAC holding the remainder.
When the company was founded, a seven-year agreement between the airline and BOAC was signed, which saw BOAC personnel being seconded to Accra, and Ghanaian personnel being trained in order for them to take over management and operation of the airline. Prior to the foundation of the company, BOAC and West African Airways Corporation were responsible for international services from Ghana, operating pool services from West Africa to London.
For their initial operations, Ghana Airways joined the pool services, when BOAC began operating the Accra-London route on 16 July 1958 with a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, with the aircraft being operated with the Ghanaian flag and in a livery minimally adapted from that of the UK carrier.
The airline's relationship with West African Airways ceased on 30 September, and on 1 October they began operating the domestic and regional flights formerly offered by WAAC . The airline's first aircraft, and hence the first aircraft to be registered in Ghana since the nation became independent, was a de Havilland Heron delivered on 30 December. |
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At the end of the airline's first year of operation they had made a net profit of US$28,000.
Flights to the United States began in September 1994, when the airline began operations to JFK International Airport in New York City with DC-10s leased from Skyjet on a twice-weekly basis. At this time, Düsseldorf and Harare were also featured on the airline's route network. For its flights to New York City, the airline would later lease a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 from World Airways. In 1995 Speedwing, the consultancy arm of British Airways was awarded a two-year contract to manage the airline. Following Ghana's receipt of Category One status from the US Federal Aviation Administration, Ghana Airways was able to operate flights to New York City from mid-October 1996 utilising Ghanaian-registered DC-10s
The airline inked a co-operation agreement with South African Airways on 25 March 1999, which would see the two airlines increasing flights to near daily between Johannesburg and Accra, in addition to offering more services between West and East Africa to theUnited States. As part of the alliance, South African Airways ceased flights to Dakar in order to route their flights to the United States via Accra.
Flights to Baltimore commenced in July 2000, with the Maryland city becoming the second United States destination for the airline. Flights to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were inaugurated in November 2000, along with the re-introduction of flights to Beirut, after a thirty-year hiatus. Banjul in The Gambia was added to the route network in February 2001 in conjunction with Gambia International Airlines, with flights continuing to Baltimore, marking the first direct service between The Gambia and the United States. Operations to Banjul did not always operate smoothly.
In January 2002 a group of disgruntled passengers due to travel to Baltimore threatened to burn the airlines' DC-10 and offices at Banjul International Airport after being stranded by the airline. The passengers were informed by employees of the airline that their 13 January flight was scheduled to arrive in Banjul at 10:00 am, however, upon arrival at the airport they were informed that their aircraft had arrived at 3:00 am and had already left for the United States. According to the passengers, Ghana Airways had flown a full aircraft into Banjul and had left for Baltimore. An official at the airport confirmed that a similar incident occurred on 6 January, after 40 passengers were stranded by the airline after the flight arrived in Banjul ahead of schedule
Flights to Baltimore commenced in July 2000, with the Maryland city becoming the second United States destination for the airline. Flights to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were inaugurated in November 2000, along with the re-introduction of flights to Beirut, after a thirty-year hiatus. Banjul in The Gambia was added to the route network in February 2001 in conjunction with Gambia International Airlines, with flights continuing to Baltimore, marking the first direct service between The Gambia and the United States. Operations to Banjul did not always operate smoothly.
In January 2002 a group of disgruntled passengers due to travel to Baltimore threatened to burn the airlines' DC-10 and offices at Banjul International Airport after being stranded by the airline. The passengers were informed by employees of the airline that their 13 January flight was scheduled to arrive in Banjul at 10:00 am, however, upon arrival at the airport they were informed that their aircraft had arrived at 3:00 am and had already left for the United States. According to the passengers, Ghana Airways had flown a full aircraft into Banjul and had left for Baltimore. An official at the airport confirmed that a similar incident occurred on 6 January, after 40 passengers were stranded by the airline after the flight arrived in Banjul ahead of schedule
One of the airlines' DC-10s was seized at Heathrow Airport in June 2002, after a British creditor of the airline got a legal judgement in order to recoup some £4 million in unpaid debts. After the seizure, Sam Jonah, then-airline chairman, stated that Ghana Airways was some US$160 million in debt, and the airline would require a foreign partner if it were to survive. He also noted that the British creditor released the aircraft after the airline paid US$1 million.
In July 2004, the United States Department of Transportation banned the airline from operating flights into or out of the United States, whilst investigations were underway that the airline had ignored orders relating to the grounding of unsafe aircraft, and that the airline had been operating on an out-of-date licence. As a result, the airline was forced to cancel two weekly flights to JFK International Airport and two weekly flights to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. According to the spokesman of the USDOT, the airline had utilised an aircraft which the Federal Aviation Administration had ordered to be grounded on flights to New York City and Baltimore on 24 and 26 July, respectively.
The banning led to the Ghana Airways board being sacked by the government, and the government taking over full control of the airline. Kwadwo Mpiani, the Presidential Chief of Staff, stated that the measures were necessary in order to prevent further damage coming to the national airline. He also stated that the government would insure that the airline would be turned around. The comments followed on from an incident the week previous when angry passengers took a Ghana Airways pilot hostage at Kokota International Airport, after they had waited for some days for their flights on the airline. In the aftermath of the incident, President John Kufour held emergency meetings with officials from the airline and police.
It was reported in April 2005 that Ethiopian Airlines was negotiating with the government in Accra to help keep Ghana Airways afloat, in a deal which would have seen the government keeping a 25% share in the airline, with 40% being sold off to the national airline and Ghana International Airlines. Unable to keep up with its debt repayments, and due to the government refusal to pump more money into the airline, Ghana Airways was liquidated in June 2005.
The banning led to the Ghana Airways board being sacked by the government, and the government taking over full control of the airline. Kwadwo Mpiani, the Presidential Chief of Staff, stated that the measures were necessary in order to prevent further damage coming to the national airline. He also stated that the government would insure that the airline would be turned around. The comments followed on from an incident the week previous when angry passengers took a Ghana Airways pilot hostage at Kokota International Airport, after they had waited for some days for their flights on the airline. In the aftermath of the incident, President John Kufour held emergency meetings with officials from the airline and police.
It was reported in April 2005 that Ethiopian Airlines was negotiating with the government in Accra to help keep Ghana Airways afloat, in a deal which would have seen the government keeping a 25% share in the airline, with 40% being sold off to the national airline and Ghana International Airlines. Unable to keep up with its debt repayments, and due to the government refusal to pump more money into the airline, Ghana Airways was liquidated in June 2005.
In December 2008, the government released some $2.25 million to the liquidator to pay the final instalment in severance claims to ex-employees of Ghana Airways. This tranche brought the total amount paid out to Ghanaian employees of the airline to some $7.8 million.
The Nigerian National Union of Air Transport Employees decried the payouts, claiming that Nigerian employees of the airline had only received 14% of their entitlements, whilst Ghanaian employees received their full entitlements. The Union also claimed that funds from the Lagos office of the airline were used to fund the office of the Ghanaian High Commission in Abuja. |
Ghana Airways previously operated the following aircraft in later years:
Latest Ghana Airport & Flight Infos at GhanaFlights.info |
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