Domestic flight operations finally resumed at the Sunyani Airport on Monday, with a call on the business community, local investors, and entrepreneurs to patronise and sustain the services of Passion Air, a domestic air transport company.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Airport on August 3, 2022, and assured his government’s commitment to facilitating construction works of the second phase of the project.
Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport who made the call said the government was investing hugely to ensure the Sunyani Airport would meet international standards to boost airport transport and spur the socio-economic growth of the region.
According to the management of PassionAir, its aircraft would airlift passengers from Sunyani to Accra four times a week with an introductory fare of GHC600 one-way on the route.
The airline would fly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the morning, as well as Sundays in the afternoon,
Addressing a colourful durbar in Sunyani, Mr Asiamah advised the management of the airline to render quality services, avoid flight delays, and improve customer care to sustain the interest and confidence of passengers.
“You must endeavour to treat your customers with respect and decorum. It is only that they would continue to patronise your products,” he advised.
Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister said she was optimistic that air and road transport systems would complement each other to accelerate the economic growth of the region and stimulate trade and investments.
She expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the rehabilitation and reopening of the airport and prayed “we will all patronise the airport to propel the commencement of the second phase of its upgrading to international standard.”
Mr Samuel Ato Hagan, the Managing Director, PassionAir, noted the depreciation of the Ghana cedi against the major foreign trading currencies and the continuous increase in aviation fuel prices were directly affecting air transport operations in the country.
“Our ticket sales are in cedis but over 98 per cent of our transactions with vendors and suppliers are in foreign currencies.
The price of aviation fuel is flying just as high as our aircraft and this is a major challenge for us as a domestic operator,” he said.
Passion Air, he added remained the only domestic airline with the largest route network in the country, operating five out of six of the country’s regional airports, saying “it is our goal to connect Ghana one city at a time while providing the best quality service to bring a memorable in-air and on-ground experience through leadership, excellence and accountability.”
The Sunyani Airport was originally constructed as an Airstrip and later upgraded into an airport in 1969 and it currently has a total runway length of about 1,520 metres.
In 2015, the Ghana Airports Company Limite and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority shut down the airport as a precautionary measure to forestall any disaster.
