Zurich - Protectionism by the Ghanaian government has caused South African Airways (SAA) to relocate its west African hub from Accra to Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

Khaya Ngqula, the chief executive of SAA, explained on Friday that it had failed to obtain air-traffic rights to take on passengers in Accra en route to Washington because Ghana intended to start a new international airline of its own to fly to the US.

So from next month, SAA will reroute its Johannesburg-to-Washington service, on which it carries US-based United Airline's passengers under codeshare arrangements, by way of Dakar. It has already obtained air-traffic rights to take on passengers bound for Washington in Dakar, codesharing with Air Senegal.

SAA already has a lucrative route between Johannesburg and New York by way of Dakar that attracts passengers from neighbouring west African countries.

Meanwhile, SAA is now a partner in the Star Alliance to which 17 other international airlines and three regional airlines belong, and all member airlines are expected to transfer passengers to its routes in sub-Saharan Africa.

It will also be able to transfer passengers to connecting flights to 842 destinations in 152 countries served by its fellow members, on all of which members of SAA's Voyager frequent-flier club will earn points.