Accra, July 2, GNA- North American Airline (NAA) on Saturday began its Maiden flight from New York to Accra.

The ten and a half-hours flight of Boeing 676 300ER aircraft, which took off from John F. Kennedy Airport, landed at the Kotoka International Airport at 1430 hours with 148 passengers on board. All the passengers, including the about 10 crew, including a Ghanaian Pilot were given Kente souvenirs with the inscription, "Akwaaba", meaning welcome.

Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister for Tourism and the Modernization of the Capital City, who welcomed the passengers said the direct flight linking the two cities would go a long way to establish Ghana as the gateway to Africa.

He said the introduction of the direct flights from New York would make sure tourists and those who want to come to Ghana would not have to go through the stress associated with transit airlines. He said: " you can now wake and think of a stress flight direct from the New York to Accra.

Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey said the introduction of the direct flights would make it easy for tourists who want to visit Ghana, because it is now easy and less expensive to visit the country.

He said, " now that we have the reliable means to come to Ghana and go back home, the time present it's self to market the country abroad. He said, " the challenge now for his Ministry is to build the market in partnership with the airline to make the Airline come to stay."

Mr. Obed Owusu Kissi, Managing Director of NAA local office in Ghana said the introduction of the direct flights to Ghana, was the need reduce the problems and stress most Ghanaians and tourists in the U.S go through when they want to come back to Ghana.

He said most tourists and Ghanaians in the U.S were worried about hopping from one continent to another any time that they wanted to come to Ghana.

Mr. Kissi assured Ghanaians that NAA has come to stay, adding, "for the past 16 years that we have been operating, everywhere we go, we stay."