GHANA – Qatar Airways, the flag carrier of Qatar, has successfully completed its inaugural flight to Ghana under the captainship of Ghanaian pilots.
According to report by Ghana Web, Qatar Airway’s first flight touched down at Kotoka International Airport from Doha via Lagos on September 29th carrying 60 passengers and crew which included about 5 Ghanaians.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which features 22 seats in Business Class and 232 seats in Economy Class, touched down at the terminal three of KIA to a water cannon salute.
Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda while receiving the airline to Ghana, and requested that Ghana is made the hub of its operations in the sub-region, declaring that “Ghana is open for business.”
The flight officially commenced the four weekly flights to Accra, Ghana, via Lagos – making it the fourth destination to be launched by the national carrier of the State of Qatar.
“The emergence of Qatar Airways just a few weeks since Ghana reopened the Kotoka International Airport signals the confidence gained from international airlines amid the coronavirus pandemic; there is something we are doing right.”
Joseph Kofi Adda- Ghana’s Minister for Aviation
Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker said the choice of Ghana’s capital is due to its “fame for local hospitality and highly sought-after agricultural exports.”
“We look forward to working closely with our partners in Ghana to steadily grow this route and support the recovery of tourism and trade in the region,” he added.
Management of the airline said it will allow unlimited date changes, and passengers could change their destinations as often as they needed if it was within 5,000 miles of the original destination.
The arrival of Qatar Airways will give passengers more seamless connectivity to many parts of the world given that the airline boasts of flights to more than 28 destinations in Asia-Pacific, 31 in Europe, 12 in the Middle East and nine in North America.
By mid-October, Qatar Airways plans to operate 46 weekly flights to 14 destinations in Africa, including Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Entebbe, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Lagos, Mogadishu, Nairobi, Seychelles, Tunis, Windhoek and Zanzibar.
In line with the airline’s expanding operations across Africa, Qatar Airways has expanded its workforce to include crew from more than 30 African nationalities.
This, the airline says, is to ensure passengers enjoy a touch of African hospitality whenever they choose to fly with any of their carriers.
Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE
