Ghana Airways
Encyclopedia
Ghana 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.
holding the remainder. When the company was founded, a seven year agreement between the airline and BOAC was also signed, which saw BOAC personnel being seconded to Accra, and Ghanaian personnel being trained in order for them to take over management and operations 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 its 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 it began operating in its own right 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. At the end of the airline's first year of operation it had made a net profit
of US$28,000.
A second Heron was delivered to the airline in 1959, and on 9 March the first Douglas DC-3
entered service with the airline. Flights to London began to employ Bristol Britannia
102s wet-leased from BOAC from 16 April, leading to a reduction in Stratocruiser services and the retirement of the type after its final departure for London, via Barcelona, on 31 August. (BOAC's own Stratocruiser services on the route had ceased on 31 May.) By the end of 1959, an order for two Britannias was placed and a service to Conakry
was introduced. In 1960 three Vickers Viscount
s were ordered on 20 April. Ghanaian President
Kwame Nkrumah
was accused of being too aligned to the West
, and hence he entered into agreements with the Soviets
and on 18 August six Ilyushin Il-18
s, at a cost of ₤670,000 each, were ordered. After having initially expected to be delivered on 20 November, the first two of six Il-18s was delivered to Accra on 3 December, and were initially crewed and maintained by Soviet personnel while Ghanaian personnel were trained. The aircraft entered service on routes from Accra to Lagos
and Dakar
, to Addis Ababa
via Kano
, and Nairobi
via Léopoldville
. Net profits for the year 1960 totalled some US$462,000. In November 1960, the USSR also delivered a single Antonov An-12 to Ghana Airways.
The airline placed an order with Boeing
in January 1961 for two Rolls-Royce Conway-powered Boeing 707
-420s, and an order was also placed for three Vickers VC10
s. The order for the two Boeings, valued at US$17,500,000, saw the airline planning flights to the United States
from July 1962, with additional plans to begin flights to Tokyo
and Sydney
also being raised. A weekly Britannia service to Beirut
, via Kano
and Cairo
, was inaugurated on 4 February 1961, making Ghana Airways the first West African airline to serve the Lebanese
capital.
It was reported in January 1961 the Nkrumah administration desired minimal foreign influence in Ghanaian affairs, and saw Ghana Airways as a prime symbol of Ghana's statehood. On 14 February 1961, the Ghanaian government reached agreement with BOAC for the former to buy the latter out of its forty percent share in the airline, for a reported ₤160,000. The cheque was presented to Sir Duncan Cumming on 15 February, who at the same time signed a contract renewing the management assistance contract which dated back to July 1958. On delivery of the second Britannia
, in December 1960 the new turboprops took over service from the wet-leased BOAC aircraft on the airline's route to London. In June 1961, Ghana Airways commenced the first-ever non-stop Accra-London air connection, also using Britannias, and in July the government announced that the airline would be reorganised. The order for two Boeing 707s, which had been placed in January 1961, was cancelled in August due to difficulties in financing the purchase; in 1961 the airline had lost some US$800,000. The airline took delivery of the three Viscounts and an additional two Il-18s in 1962, for a total of eight Ilyushins. A weekly flight from Accra to Kumasi
, Tamale
, Ouagadougou
, Mopti
, Ségou
and Bamako
was inaugurated on 4 July 1962 utilising Douglas DC-3
equipment. The pool arrangement with BOAC was terminated in November 1962, some three years before its expected July 1985 expiry, after Ghana Airways signed a pool agreement with Alitalia
covering flights between Accra and Rome
. BOAC saw this arrangement with the Italian airline to be in competition with their agreement with the Ghanaian airline, under which Ghana Airways would be required to sell tickets for both airlines on the Accra-London route, which in the case of the Alitalia would be operated via Rome. By January 1963 the relationship with BOAC was almost non-existent, as British United Airways
took over general sales agent
duties for the airline in the United Kingdom
and Cunard Eagle was responsible for major maintenance on the airlines' aircraft. However, BOAC continued to provide passenger ground handling services for the airline at Heathrow Airport. By this time, the airline was operating domestic flights from Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, with regional flights being operated to Abidjan
, Bamako, Bathurst
, Conakry
, Dakar
, Freetown
, Lagos
and Monrovia
. The airlines' international route network saw the airline flying to Addis Ababa
, Beirut
, Cairo
, Khartoum
, London
, Rabat
, Rome
and Zürich
.
Flights to Asmara
were added in early 1963, and the flights with Il-18 equipment continued to Aden
in the Aden Protectorate
, whilst in March the airline began flights to Switzerland
and Moscow
, although those flights were short-lived. In September 1963 the airline joined the International Air Transport Association
, becoming its ninety-third member, and it returned four of its eight Il-18s to the Soviet Union
after determining that they were surplus to the airline's requirements. In 1961 it was reported that in three months of operation on the Accra-Khartoum
route, the airline had carried only twelve revenue passengers. It was also reported in 1962 that the airline was only utilising the aircraft collectively for no more than 36 hours of flight time per week. The airline signed a lease agreement with Swissair
in October 1963 for the wet-lease operation of Convair 990As on the Accra-London route.
The Viscounts were put up for sale in November 1964, and the airline began a pool agreement with Nigeria Airways
, which saw Ghana Airways being given cabotage rights from Lagos to Cairo and Beirut via Kano and Addis Ababa. In mid-February 1965, the agreement with Swissair ended and Convair 990A services were discontinued, to be replaced by the Vickers VC10
. In the same month, the Britannias were withdrawn. The first VC10 was delivered to Accra on 18 December 1964, and initially conducted proving and training flights, before entering service on 15 February 1965 on the route to London. The second VC10 was delivered to the airline in June 1965, enabling services to Beirut to commence. Ghana Airways operated the aircraft in a configuration of 20 first class and 87 economy class seats.
Following the February 1966 coup in which Nkrumah's regime was overthrown, the new National Liberation Council
(NLC) took steps to eliminate loss-making routes from the Ghana Airways network, which Nkrumah had kept open in order to show the Ghanaian flag
. However, the NLC continued Nkrumah's policy of directing Ghana Airways to operate routes based upon politics, but forced the airline to stop operations to Cairo because of the support for Nkrumah given by Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser
.
The Soviet aircraft still remaining in the fleet, one Antonov An-12
and four Il-18s, were retired in 1967. The route to Bamako, suspended since the February 1966 coup, restarted in conjunction with Air Mali
operating one of its Il-18s on the route. The airline also started a pool agreement with Nigeria Airways, under which Ghana Airways utilised Nigerian Fokker F27
s on domestic routes and Nigeria Airways employed Ghana Airways Viscounts on its own Lagos-Accra route.
The first McDonnell Douglas DC-9
s were delivered to the airline in 1975, and in 1976 the airline added Lagos as a stopover on its route from Accra to Cotonou
. The same year the airline placed an order for a McDonnell Douglas DC-10
, and whilst awaiting delivery it took a DC-10 in on lease from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
. The airline's DC-10 was delivered on 24 February 1983, and the aircraft leased from the Dutch airline was returned. At this time the airline had added new international destinations to its route network which included Amsterdam
, Douala
, Frankfurt
, Jeddah
, Libreville
and Niamey
. The airline's DC-10 also visited the West Indies on behalf of Caribbean Airways, thanks to a wet-lease contract, renewed in January 1986, which saw the aircraft operating twice-weekly services to Barbados
from London's [Gatwick Airport] in between its regular Accra-London rotations.
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.
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 the United 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 10:00am, however, upon arrival at the airport they were informed that their aircraft had arrived at 3:00am 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.The Ghanaian government announced in September 2002 that it had signed a deal with Nationwide Airlines
which would see the South African airline taking over the management of the airline, which would have been renamed Ghana Nationwide International Airlines. Nationwide, which beat out rival British Midland
, as part of the deal would not take on liabilities for the debts of the national airline. In February 2003, Richard Anane, the Minister of Roads and Transport, announced that the government had withdrawn from the deal with Nationwide Airlines.
It was announced in June 2003 that British Midland had entered into an agreement with the Ghanaian government for the creation of Fly Ghana Limited. The company, of which the government would hold a golden share
, would operate for an indeterminate period as a separate entity to Ghana Airways, at which time both companies would be merged into a single company to potentially be named New Ghana Airways. Under the plan, British Midland would supply to the airline an Airbus A330
for use on flights to London, with an additional A330 being utilised on flights to New York City. Additionally, British Midland would operate a Fokker 100 aircraft on the airline's regional route network, with the DC-10 being deployed on the airline's secondary international routes.
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 lead 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 Kuffour 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 Ethiopia
n 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 Nigeria
n 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
.
Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, is the country's premier international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-800...
in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.
The airline ceased operations in 2004, but was to be revived during 2010 as a partnership between the government of Ghana and Arik Air
Arik Air
Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating a domestic, regional and international flight network. It is also the national carrier of Sierra Leone. It operates mainly from two hubs at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja...
of Nigeria.
Formative years
Ghana Airways was founded on 4 July 1958 by the government of Ghana with start up capital of ₤400,000; the government holding a sixty percent stake, with BOACBoac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
holding the remainder. When the company was founded, a seven year agreement between the airline and BOAC was also signed, which saw BOAC personnel being seconded to Accra, and Ghanaian personnel being trained in order for them to take over management and operations of the airline. Prior to the foundation of the company, BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
and West African Airways Corporation
West African Airways Corporation
West African Airways Corporation, or WAAC for short, was a 12-year lived airline jointly owned and operated by four West African governments of the British Empire, namely The Gambia, the Gold Coast , Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The carrier was headquartered at the Airways House in Ikeja, Nigeria,...
were responsible for international services from Ghana, operating pool services from West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. For its initial operations, Ghana Airways joined the pool services, when BOAC began operating the Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
-London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
route on 16 July 1958 with a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
The Boeing 377, also called the Stratocruiser, was a large long range airliner which was built after World War II. It was developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress used for troop transport...
, with the aircraft being operated with the Ghanaian flag
Flag of Ghana
The flag of Ghana was designed to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the...
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 it began operating in its own right 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
De Havilland Heron
The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small, propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle...
delivered on 30 December. At the end of the airline's first year of operation it had made a net profit
Net profit
Net profit or net revenue is a measure of the profitability of a venture after accounting for all costs. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 91 percent responded that they found the "net profit" metric very useful...
of US$28,000.
A second Heron was delivered to the airline in 1959, and on 9 March the first Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
entered service with the airline. Flights to London began to employ Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
102s wet-leased from BOAC from 16 April, leading to a reduction in Stratocruiser services and the retirement of the type after its final departure for London, via Barcelona, on 31 August. (BOAC's own Stratocruiser services on the route had ceased on 31 May.) By the end of 1959, an order for two Britannias was placed and a service to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
was introduced. In 1960 three Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
s were ordered on 20 April. Ghanaian President
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
was accused of being too aligned to the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
, and hence he entered into agreements with the Soviets
Ghana–Russia relations
Ghana–Russia relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the two countries, Ghana and Russia. Russia has an embassy in Accra, and Ghana has an embassy in Moscow...
and on 18 August six Ilyushin Il-18
Ilyushin Il-18
The Ilyushin Il-18 is a large turboprop airliner that became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era as well as one of the most popular and durable, having first flown in 1957 and still in use over 50 years later. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades...
s, at a cost of ₤670,000 each, were ordered. After having initially expected to be delivered on 20 November, the first two of six Il-18s was delivered to Accra on 3 December, and were initially crewed and maintained by Soviet personnel while Ghanaian personnel were trained. The aircraft entered service on routes from Accra to Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
and Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
via Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
, and Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
via Léopoldville
Leopoldville
Leopoldville may refer to:* The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, today known as Kinshasa* SS Leopoldville, a troopship sunk in 1944...
. Net profits for the year 1960 totalled some US$462,000. In November 1960, the USSR also delivered a single Antonov An-12 to Ghana Airways.
The airline placed an order with Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
in January 1961 for two Rolls-Royce Conway-powered Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
-420s, and an order was also placed for three Vickers VC10
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
s. The order for the two Boeings, valued at US$17,500,000, saw the airline planning flights to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from July 1962, with additional plans to begin flights to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
also being raised. A weekly Britannia service to Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, via Kano
Kano
Kano is a city in Nigeria and the capital of Kano State in Northern Nigeria. Its metropolitan population is the second largest in Nigeria after Lagos. The Kano Urban area covers 137 sq.km and comprises six Local Government Area - Kano Municipal, Fagge, Dala, Gwale, Tarauni and Nassarawa - with a...
and Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, was inaugurated on 4 February 1961, making Ghana Airways the first West African airline to serve the Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
capital.
It was reported in January 1961 the Nkrumah administration desired minimal foreign influence in Ghanaian affairs, and saw Ghana Airways as a prime symbol of Ghana's statehood. On 14 February 1961, the Ghanaian government reached agreement with BOAC for the former to buy the latter out of its forty percent share in the airline, for a reported ₤160,000. The cheque was presented to Sir Duncan Cumming on 15 February, who at the same time signed a contract renewing the management assistance contract which dated back to July 1958. On delivery of the second Britannia
Britannia
Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
, in December 1960 the new turboprops took over service from the wet-leased BOAC aircraft on the airline's route to London. In June 1961, Ghana Airways commenced the first-ever non-stop Accra-London air connection, also using Britannias, and in July the government announced that the airline would be reorganised. The order for two Boeing 707s, which had been placed in January 1961, was cancelled in August due to difficulties in financing the purchase; in 1961 the airline had lost some US$800,000. The airline took delivery of the three Viscounts and an additional two Il-18s in 1962, for a total of eight Ilyushins. A weekly flight from Accra to Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
, Tamale
Tamale, Ghana
Tamale with a population of 360,579 , is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana and the Tamale Metropolitan District with which it is coterminous Area. The city is located 600 km north of Accra...
, Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, Mopti
Mopti
Mopti is a city at the confluence of the Niger and the Bani in Mali, between Timbuktu and Ségou. The city lies on three islands linked by dykes: the New Town, the Old Town and Medina Coura. As a result it is sometimes known as the "Venice of Mali".-History:The city of Mopti derives its name from...
, Ségou
Ségou
Ségou is a city in south-central Mali, lying northeast of Bamako on the River Niger, in the region of Ségou. It was founded by the Bozo people, on a site about from the present town...
and Bamako
Bamako
Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
was inaugurated on 4 July 1962 utilising Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
equipment. The pool arrangement with BOAC was terminated in November 1962, some three years before its expected July 1985 expiry, after Ghana Airways signed a pool agreement with Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
covering flights between Accra and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. BOAC saw this arrangement with the Italian airline to be in competition with their agreement with the Ghanaian airline, under which Ghana Airways would be required to sell tickets for both airlines on the Accra-London route, which in the case of the Alitalia would be operated via Rome. By January 1963 the relationship with BOAC was almost non-existent, as British United Airways
British United Airways
British United Airways was a private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airline formed as a result of the merger of Airwork Services and Hunting-Clan Air Transport in July 1960, making it the largest wholly private airline based in the United Kingdom at the time...
took over general sales agent
General Sales Agent
A general sales agent is a sales representative for an airline in a specific country or region. Typically, the GSA is responsible for selling all products of the airline in its region which includes flight tickets and cargo space...
duties for the airline in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Cunard Eagle was responsible for major maintenance on the airlines' aircraft. However, BOAC continued to provide passenger ground handling services for the airline at Heathrow Airport. By this time, the airline was operating domestic flights from Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, with regional flights being operated to Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, Bamako, Bathurst
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
, Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Freetown
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
, Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
and Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
. The airlines' international route network saw the airline flying to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Flights to Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
were added in early 1963, and the flights with Il-18 equipment continued to Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
in the Aden Protectorate
Aden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
, whilst in March the airline began flights to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, although those flights were short-lived. In September 1963 the airline joined the International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, becoming its ninety-third member, and it returned four of its eight Il-18s to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
after determining that they were surplus to the airline's requirements. In 1961 it was reported that in three months of operation on the Accra-Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
route, the airline had carried only twelve revenue passengers. It was also reported in 1962 that the airline was only utilising the aircraft collectively for no more than 36 hours of flight time per week. The airline signed a lease agreement with Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
in October 1963 for the wet-lease operation of Convair 990As on the Accra-London route.
The Viscounts were put up for sale in November 1964, and the airline began a pool agreement with Nigeria Airways
Nigeria Airways
Nigeria Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Nigeria Airways, is a defunct Nigerian airline. The company was founded in 1958 after the dissolution of West African Airways Corporation. It was wholly owned by the Government of Nigeria, and served as the country's flag carrier. The airline was...
, which saw Ghana Airways being given cabotage rights from Lagos to Cairo and Beirut via Kano and Addis Ababa. In mid-February 1965, the agreement with Swissair ended and Convair 990A services were discontinued, to be replaced by the Vickers VC10
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
. In the same month, the Britannias were withdrawn. The first VC10 was delivered to Accra on 18 December 1964, and initially conducted proving and training flights, before entering service on 15 February 1965 on the route to London. The second VC10 was delivered to the airline in June 1965, enabling services to Beirut to commence. Ghana Airways operated the aircraft in a configuration of 20 first class and 87 economy class seats.
Following the February 1966 coup in which Nkrumah's regime was overthrown, the new National Liberation Council
National Liberation Council
The National Liberation Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the elected government of the Convention Peoples' Party led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown on February 24, 1966. This government was in place till they handed over to a democratically elected government on October...
(NLC) took steps to eliminate loss-making routes from the Ghana Airways network, which Nkrumah had kept open in order to show the Ghanaian flag
Flag of Ghana
The flag of Ghana was designed to replace the flag of the United Kingdom upon attainment of independence in 1957. It was flown until 1959, and then reinstated in 1966. It consists of the Pan-African colours of red, yellow, and green, in horizontal stripes, with a black five-pointed star in the...
. However, the NLC continued Nkrumah's policy of directing Ghana Airways to operate routes based upon politics, but forced the airline to stop operations to Cairo because of the support for Nkrumah given by Egyptian President
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
.
The Soviet aircraft still remaining in the fleet, one Antonov An-12
Antonov An-12
The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
and four Il-18s, were retired in 1967. The route to Bamako, suspended since the February 1966 coup, restarted in conjunction with Air Mali
Air Mali (1960–1985)
Société Nationale Air Mali, or Air Mali as it was most commonly known, was the former national airline of the Republic of Mali. It had its head office in Bamako.-History:...
operating one of its Il-18s on the route. The airline also started a pool agreement with Nigeria Airways, under which Ghana Airways utilised Nigerian Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
s on domestic routes and Nigeria Airways employed Ghana Airways Viscounts on its own Lagos-Accra route.
The first McDonnell Douglas DC-9
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
s were delivered to the airline in 1975, and in 1976 the airline added Lagos as a stopover on its route from Accra to Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
. The same year the airline placed an order for a McDonnell Douglas DC-10
McDonnell Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is a three-engine widebody jet airliner manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 has range for medium- to long-haul flights, capable of carrying a maximum 380 passengers. Its most distinguishing feature is the two turbofan engines mounted on underwing pylons and a...
, and whilst awaiting delivery it took a DC-10 in on lease from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V., operating under the name KLM Royal Dutch Airlines , is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands and is part of Air France-KLM...
. The airline's DC-10 was delivered on 24 February 1983, and the aircraft leased from the Dutch airline was returned. At this time the airline had added new international destinations to its route network which included Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Douala
Douala
Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province. Home to Cameroon's largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport, it is the commercial capital of the country...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
and Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
. The airline's DC-10 also visited the West Indies on behalf of Caribbean Airways, thanks to a wet-lease contract, renewed in January 1986, which saw the aircraft operating twice-weekly services to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
from London's [Gatwick Airport] in between its regular Accra-London rotations.
Flights to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
began in September 1994, when the airline began operations to JFK International Airport in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with DC-10s leased from Skyjet on a twice-weekly basis. At this time, Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
and Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
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
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 is a three-engine medium- to long-range widebody jet airliner, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas and, later, by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Based on the DC-10, it features a stretched fuselage, increased wingspan with winglets, refined airfoils on the wing and smaller...
from World Airways
World Airways
World Airways, Inc. is an American airline headquartered at the HLH Building in Peachtree City, Georgia. For the most part, the company operates non-scheduled services. Its main aircraft and maintenance base is Tampa International Airport.-History:...
. In 1995 Speedwing, the consultancy arm of British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
was awarded a two-year contract to manage the airline. Following Ghana's receipt of Category One status from the US Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Ghana Airways was able to operate flights to New York City from mid-October 1996 utilising Ghanaian-registered DC-10s.
Towards its demise
The airline inked a co-operation agreement with South African AirwaysSouth African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
on 25 March 1999, which would see the two airlines increasing flights to near daily between Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and Accra, in addition to offering more services between West and East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As part of the alliance, South African Airways ceased flights to Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
in order to route their flights to the United States via Accra. Flights to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
commenced in July 2000, with the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
city becoming the second United States destination for the airline. Flights to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
were inaugurated in November 2000, along with the re-introduction of flights to Beirut, after a thirty year hiatus. Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
in The Gambia
The Gambia
The Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
was added to the route network in February 2001 in conjunction with Gambia International Airlines
Gambia International Airlines
Gambia International Airlines was the national airline of The Gambia, headquartered in Banjul. It operated mostly regional passenger services within West Africa out of Banjul International Airport, as well as flights to London...
, with flights continuing to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as 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
Banjul International Airport
Banjul International Airport also known as Yundum International is the international airport of Banjul, capital of The Gambia.In 2004, the airport served 967,719 passengers....
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 10:00am, however, upon arrival at the airport they were informed that their aircraft had arrived at 3:00am 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.The Ghanaian government announced in September 2002 that it had signed a deal with Nationwide Airlines
Nationwide Airlines
Nationwide Airlines was an airline based in Lanseria, South Africa. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg....
which would see the South African airline taking over the management of the airline, which would have been renamed Ghana Nationwide International Airlines. Nationwide, which beat out rival British Midland
British midland
British midland may refer to:*British Midland Airways Limited, also referred to as bmi and formerly as British Midland*The English Midlands, the central region of Great Britain...
, as part of the deal would not take on liabilities for the debts of the national airline. In February 2003, Richard Anane, the Minister of Roads and Transport, announced that the government had withdrawn from the deal with Nationwide Airlines.
It was announced in June 2003 that British Midland had entered into an agreement with the Ghanaian government for the creation of Fly Ghana Limited. The company, of which the government would hold a golden share
Golden Share
A Golden Share is a nominal share which is able to outvote all other shares in certain specified circumstances, often held by a government organization, in a government company undergoing the process of privatization and transformation into a stock-company....
, would operate for an indeterminate period as a separate entity to Ghana Airways, at which time both companies would be merged into a single company to potentially be named New Ghana Airways. Under the plan, British Midland would supply to the airline an Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
for use on flights to London, with an additional A330 being utilised on flights to New York City. Additionally, British Midland would operate a Fokker 100 aircraft on the airline's regional route network, with the DC-10 being deployed on the airline's secondary international routes.
In July 2004, the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
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
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
had ordered to be grounded on flights to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
on 24 and 26 July, respectively. The banning lead 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 Kuffour held emergency meetings with officials from the airline and police.
It was reported in April 2005 that Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines , formerly Ethiopian Air Lines, often referred to as simply Ethiopian, is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It serves as the country's flag carrier, and is wholly owned by the Government of Ethiopia...
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 Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n national airline and Ghana International Airlines
Ghana International Airlines
Ghana International Airlines 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...
. 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 Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n 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
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
office of the airline were used to fund the office of the Ghanaian High Commission in Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 24 April 1969, Douglas C-47A 9G-AAF crashed on approach to Takoradi AirportTakoradi AirportTakoradi Airport is an airport in Sekondi-Takoradi, a city in the Western Region of Ghana.During World War II, Takoradi Airport was a major stop on the United States Army Air Force Air Transport Command Trans-Africa Ferry Route, as an intermediate stop between Monrovia-Roberts Field, Liberia and...
, Ghana, killing one passenger of the 33 passengers and crew. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Kotoka Airport, AccraAccraAccra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
.