The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has pledged to facilitate the establishment of a new national airline for the country if elected in the upcoming December polls.

Presenting highlights of the party’s manifesto at the launch of the NDC’s Manifesto in Winneba in the Central Region on Saturday, he noted that his government will “facilitate the establishment of a National Airline and develop the Ho Airport into an aviation training hub.”

Ghana Airlines, a public-private initiative by the Government of Ghana to operationalise a home-based carrier, is not ready to fly despite initial assurances that the airline would start selling tickets in April and May and commence commercial flights by June-July 2023. Advertisement

Ashanti Airlines and its financial partner, Zotus Group, won the tender to commence business last year, and earnestly began processes to acquire the requisite certification from the aviation sector regulator, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Ashanti Airlines, which already had an Air Carrier License (ACL) before the tender award, filed its documentation with the GCAA for an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC)—the second such certification mandated by law before an airline is fully established and can start commercial scheduled and non-scheduled flights.

Ashanti Airlines and its financial partner, Zotus Group, led by former footballer Emile Heskey, have yet to launch their logo and offer tickets for sale.

Information obtained by AviationGhana.com indicates that Ashanti Airlines and its partner are yet to obtain the AOC.

Ashanti Airlines is backed by Ghanaian business mogul Osei Kwame Despite, co-founder of the Despite Group of Companies, and his partner Ernest Ofori Sarpong.

Ghana has been without a national airline since the collapse of Ghana International Airlines in 2010, following the demise of Ghana Airways in 2004.

Attempts to establish a new home-based carrier have led to the signing of MoUs with Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir, respectively, with no clear outcome.

This led to the establishment of a new Committee to vet all proposals after the erstwhile Ministry of Aviation was subsumed into the Ministry of Transport.

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