By Kingsley Asare
This is as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 and
associated restrictions imposed on air travel and closure of some airports
across the world.
The re-entry of the SAA into the Ghanaian market was marked
by an inaugural flight of its SA 052 airplane from Johannesburg to Accra on
Tuesday.
Exactly at 10.54 pm, the Airbus 320 with the capacity to
carry 126 passengers arrived at the Kotoka International Airport amidst
cultural display, jubilation, presentation of gifts to the passengers who
disembarked from the plane with a fountain of water poured on the plane to
symbolically mark is inaugural flight to Accra.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah in
a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy, Hasan Tampuli, said the re-entry of
the SAA into the Ghanaian market was timely and commended the management of the
company for the decision.
"SAA is re-entering the Ghanaian market at the time
when the coronavirus disease has eased and there is a pick up in the aviation
industry," he said.
Mr Asiamah pledged that the government would create the
enabling environment for the growth of the aviation industry in Ghana.
"The government will continue to invest infrastructure
and lead in policy direction to promote the operations of airlines and the
aviation industry," Mr Asiamah, said.
The minister entreated SAA to keep the COVID-19 safety
measures and protocols to protect its customers and to help build the
confidence of travellers.
The Country Manager of SAA, Mrs Gloria Wilkinson Mensah said
the operation of the company in the country was suspended in March 2020 due to
the lockdown and closure of the Kotoka International Airport to contain the
spread of the coronavirus disease.
She said the re-entry of the company to the Ghanaian market
would facilitate the movement of air travels from Ghana to South Africa.
"The flying of SAA on the Johannesburg-Accra route will
provide seamless and short travel time from Ghana to South Africa and reduce
the more than 13 hours it currently takes to fly from Ghana to South Africa via
Eastern Africa and Middle East, to less than six hours," Mrs Mensah, said.
The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Grace Jeanette
Mason said re-entry of SAA in Ghana would help facilitate and boost bilateral
co-operation and trade between Ghana and South Africa.
She said it would facilitate travelling between Ghana and
South Africa.
Ms Mason indicated that the objective of the management of
SAA was to build a sustainable airline business and foster performance
excellence and promote good governance practices in the operations of the
company.
The Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company Limited
(GACL), Yaw Kwakwa commended the management of SAA for making the re-opening of
the company's operations in Ghana a reality.
He pledged that the GACL would work with stakeholders to
make flying easy in the country.
The Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority
(GCAA), Mr Charles Kraikue urged the company to continue to keep to its high
safety and security standards as it resumed operations in the country.
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