The government awarded Ashanti Airlines and its operational and financial partner Zotus Group a tender to begin business, and Ghana Airlines will begin operations this year as the nation’s flag carrier.
The Minister of Transportation, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, stated in a statement released by Zotus Group that “the moment has come to put Ghana back on the aviation map.” “It is best to engage with the private sector,” said one expert, “learning from past experiences and adhering to best practises within the aviation business.”
The Ashanti Group was chosen from a shortlist of bidders, specifically through a competitive process, and on February 24, 2022, the cabinet approved the strategic alliance.
The Zotus Group will provide funding for Ghana Airlines, which will launch operations with flights to a number of internal and regional destinations as well as services on international and European routes. The airline also intends to run flights to New York and London Heathrow.
According to a report by AeroTime, Emile Heskey, a co-founder of the Zotus Group, commented on plans to get aircraft for the airline’s operations “with a significant focus on cargo and passenger manifest from the British Government.”
“It is with this support we anticipate a successful business model from the outset,” Heskey added.
The long-distance fleet of Ghana Airlines may include Boeing 787 Dreamliners in addition to Dash 8-400 aircraft for its local and regional services.
At the Dubai Airshow in November 2019, the Ghanaian government signed a preliminary agreement to buy three Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Following the demise of the former national carriers Ghana Airways in 2004 and Ghana International Airlines six years later in 2010, Ghana’s airspace has been without a national airline for 13 years.
The newly established national airline has already completed the requirements for an Air Operator Certificate and an Air Carrier License (ACL) (AOC).
