Cabinet has given approval for the establishment of a national carrier soon, Deputy Minister for Aviation, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has said.  

He said although processes have started by the Ministry to ensure that a “home-based airline is established” very soon, they were not in a rush.

“You know that Ghana has gone through two airlines, we’ve had Ghana Airways, Ghana International Airlines, we want to make sure the next one is successful and sustainable, so we are not in a rush,” Mr. Darko-Mensah noted.

The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, said this when he addressed the media, on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport, following a ceremony to welcome Ethiopian Airlines’ Airbus A350 on its maiden flight to Accra on Tuesday.

He said government has received more than 20 proposals for consideration, noting Ethiopian Airlines is among the companies that have shown interest.

“So we are in the process of looking at everybody’s proposal and we want to make sure we deliver quality and value for money for Ghanaians,” Mr Darko-Mensah said.

He indicated that no criteria has been set as yet based on which the right proposal would be chosen.

The Presiding Archbishop and General Overseer of the Action Faith International Ministry, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams received the Airbus A350 on the tarmac and inspected the aircrafts interior.

Before cutting the celebratory cake, he thanked God for the success Ethiopian Airlines has chalked in its 70 years and prayed that the airline would continue to lead the way for African aviation.

The Area Manager – Ghana for Ethiopian Airlines, Genet W. Michaels expressed her gratitude and that of her employers to Ghanaians for patronizing their services and in the process making them the number one airline in Africa.

Present at the pre-ceremony breakfast at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra and at the ceremony at the Kotoka International Airline were the Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana, Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Angolan Ambassador to Ghana, Columbian Ambassador to Ghana, clergy and officials from Action Chapel International, officials from the Ministry of Aviation, travel and tourism professionals and the media.

Source: 3news.com