A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the government of Ghana and The Boeing Company for three airplanes to start the new Ghana International Airlines.
The MoU was signed on Tuesday, November 19 at the Dubai Air Show.
According to a statement issued by Boeing, the three airplanes are with a list price value of $877.5 million.
The deal was signed on behalf of Ghana by the Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda.
“There is a growing demand for air travel to and from Ghana and we believe the advanced 787-9 Dreamliner gives us an efficient and flexible machine to launch a regional network and eventually serve international destinations in the future,” said Mr Adda.
“The 787 has an excellent reputation for its operational performance, fuel efficiency and passenger experience and we are confident that we have the right partner for our new carrier.”
The re-launch of the national carrier will see services initially within the West African sub-region in anticipation of future routes to destinations in Europe, North America and Asia.
The Senior Vice President in charge of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company, Ihssane Mounir, observed that Africa, particularly Ghana, boasts of a growing and young work force with vast natural resources.
“We see the demand for air travel continuing to rise across the continent. Boeing is honored to work with Ghana in helping re-launch an airline to serve this vast market,” he added.
“We look forward to working with the government on an integrated solution that includes the 787-9 Dreamliner and aviation services to support the new airline and provide a superior experience for its future passengers.”
The statement from Boieng described the 787-9 as part of a family of three airplanes that offer long ranges and unmatched fuel efficiency in the 200 to 350 seat market.
“The 787-9 can carry 296 passengers and fly up to 7,530 nautical miles (13,950 kms), while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent compared to older airplanes.”
Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has enabled the opening of more than 250 new point-to-point routes and saved 45 billion pounds of fuel.
Every day, there are more than 1,600 commercial flights on a 787 Dreamliner. This means that somewhere in the world a 787 Dreamliner takes off every minute.
To date, more than 400 million passengers have flown on the airplane.
Source: 3news.com|Boeing