Togbe Afede XIV, Co-Chairman of Africa World Airlines (AWA), a domestic airline with operations in West Africa has stated the readiness of the company to run Ho-Accra-Ho flights at the new Ho Airport.
“AWA is ready to start with Ho-Accra-Ho flights. May be three flights in a week for the start. We are only waiting for the official handing over of the airport to government and commissioning,” he said.
Togbe Afede, who is also the Agbogbomefia of Asogli and President of the National House of Chiefs, said this when he led a team of Chinese investors from the China-Africa Development Fund to the airport for feasibility studies on a proposed pilot academy and Maintenance, Repair and Overall (MRO) operations at the airport.
He said AWA was acquiring two new aircrafts in October this year and said once the Ho Airport was commissioned, AWA would conduct surveys to start operations.
Togbe Afede said a pilot training academy and MRO centre at the airport would put Ho on the global aviation map and offer opportunities to students of Ho Technical University.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, said government was working around the clock to make the new airport viable and welcome the willingness and readiness of AWA to start operating the route.
He was optimistic operations of AWA would offer jobs to people including aerospace engineers and open up the region for socio-economic development.
The $25million Ho Airport project was funded by the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) to boost economic activities and tourism in the Volta Region.
It has 1,900 metres runway, traffic control tower, 1,150 capacity passenger waiting area, a airbus terminal and an automatic fire detection system.
The airport, with the slogan, “Ho Airport, the New Destination” is expected to host domestic and commercial flights and open up the region for growth.
