Transport Minister reiterate calls to airlines to put customers first

The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has called on airlines operating in the country to put customers first.

Speaking at the 4th Aviation Ghana Stakeholders Meeting held in Accra, he urged the airlines to make it a priority to provide safe, reliable, and comfortable flights for passengers at all times.

Customer service delivery is very important in the airline industry and I will entreat all the airlines to provide safe, reliable, and comfortable flights to their passengers. They should always remember that the Passenger comes First,” Kwaku Ofori Asiamah said.

Acknowledging the challenges facing the aviation industry, the Transport Minister thanked the stakeholders for displaying resilience throughout the tough times especially during the climax of the covid 19 pandemic and assured of the government continuous support to the industry.

Government on its part will continue to create the enabling environment to encourage and expand domestic airline operations across the country,’ he assured.

At the 4th Aviation Ghana Stakeholders Meeting, several issues were discussed with a focus on post covid 19 recovery process and the journey ahead; the commissioning of the Tamale and Kumasi airports, as well as the way forward for the industry.

In her welcome address, Eloina Baddoo, the Chairperson of the Board of Airline Representatives, Ghana, the umbrella body for airlines operating in Ghana also reiterated the need to prioritize the needs of customers.

Let’s prioritize customers and keep them at the heart of every decision we take in our operations.

“Let’s embrace technology and make travel stress-free and safe,” Eloina Baddoo admonished airlines.

She was that her outfit is able to hold the Breakfast Meeting this year after a three-year break due to COVID 19.

She commended the stakeholders for the various roles that keep aviation in Ghana working to support the economy.

In a video address at the meeting, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi implored the government of Ghana not to increase charges for airlines because other countries are doing the same.

He emphasized that the Ghana government has been very supportive of the Aviation Industry over the years and there is the need to cushion the industry and its players to help in the recovery process after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now is not the right time to be raising charges. Ghana must resist the temptation of increasing charges. Such an increase can affect Ghana as a travel destination,” Kamil Alawadhi pointed out.

He entreated players in Ghana’s Aviation Industry to do more to stay resilient, adding that it will be key in the process of recovery to reduce the losses incurred in the last few years when Covid struck.

Panel discussion

The meeting had a panel session where Charles Kraikue, Director-General of Ghana Civil Aviation Authority; Pamela Djamson-Tettey, Managing Director, Ghana Airports Company Limited and J. N. Halm, Customer Service Expert, as well as Samuel Ato Hagan; Managing Director of Passion Air, spoke on various issues.

The 4th Aviation Ghana Stakeholders Meeting was organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport and the Board of Airline Representatives, Ghana (BARGH).

The Programme was sponsored by Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, and RwandAir with support from Ghana Airports and powered by Aviation Ghana.