NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020 | AVIATIONGHANA.COM
C r e d i b l e
S o u rc e
o f
Av i at i o n
&
To u r i s m
N e w s
I n
W e st
A f r i ca
International flights show promising signs of recovery
BY DOMINICK ANDOH
D
emand for international flights in Ghana is recovering, with major international airlines such as Emirates, Ethiopian, Turkish and Asky among others gradually recording increasing passenger load factor (PLF). The load factor, an indicator that measures the percentage of available seating capacity
that is filled with passengers, now ranges between 50-70percent for some international airlines servicing the Kotoka International Airport. Emirates Country Manager, Catherine Wesley, told AviationGhana that demand is recovering and anticipates it will continue going into the Christmas holidays.
“We are seeing promising signs of recovery in demand already in Ghana, and this will only grow as we inch closer to the end of the year, and beginning of 2021. As an airline, we will continue to offer more connectivity choices for our customers as demand picks up across our network,” she said. Emirates, which currently operates three (3) flights out of the Kotoka International Airport on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays with a stop in Abidjan, is expected to resume its pre-COVID-19 routing and offer direct service between Accra and Dubai starting December 2. “Ghana is a very important market for Emirates in West Africa. At the moment, we operate three times a week to Accra, and are seeing relatively good demand across our passenger and cargo operations which is encouraging. From December 2, we will resume our pre-COVID routing which will provide Ghanaians direct services to and from Dubai, and hope to resume to our schedule of daily flights to Dubai as passenger demand progressively continues to grow.
PAGE 02
Ethiopian Airlines Country Manager named Women In MICE winner The Country Manager of Ethiopian Airlines, Yemesrach Alemayehu, has been named among an elite group of female leaders in this year’s Women In MICE awards. Ms. Alemayehu, who assumed the role of Area Manager for Ethiopian in March 2020, has worked to endear the airline to Ghanaians. Ethiopian Airlines played a key role in transporting thousands of visitors from around the world to Ghana for the 2019 Year of Return year-long programme. PAGE 03
UNICEF working with airlines, freight providers to plan COVID-19 vaccine delivery Preparing to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to over 92 countries around the world as soon as it becomes available, UNICEF together with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), briefed major global airlines last week on the expected capacity requirements and discussed ways to transport close to 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines in 2021. PAGE 02
THE BOSS’ INTERVIEW Interview with Catherine Wesley, Country Manager of Emirates Airlines.
PAGE 05
2
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
news
AVIATION GHANA
UNICEF working with airlines, freight providers to plan COVID-19 vaccine delivery This is in addition to the 1 billion syringes that need to be transported by sea-freight. This virtual meeting comes close on the heels of the first-ever logistics event held virtually by UNICEF to discuss the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines. The landmark discussion brought together more than 350 logistics partners, including air freight operators, shipping lines and global logistics associations. “As work continues to develop Covid-19 vaccines, UNICEF is stepping-up efforts with airlines, freight operators, shipping lines and other logistics associations to deliver life-saving vaccines as quickly and safely as possible,” said Etleva Kadilli, director of UNICEF’s Supply Division. “This invaluable collaboration will go a long way to ensure that enough transport capacity is in place for this historic and mammoth operation. We need all hands on deck as we get ready to deliver Covid-19 vaccine doses, syringes and more personal protective equipment to protect front line workers around the globe. By protecting these workers, we are
ultimately protecting the millions of children who depend on their critical services.” In the coming weeks, UNICEF is also assessing existing transport capacity to identify gaps and future requirements. The procurement, delivery and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines is anticipated to be the largest and fastest such operation ever undertaken. UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and deliver vaccines from manufacturers that have agreements with the COVAX Facility. In collaboration with PAHO, UNICEF will coordinate the purchase and delivery for 92 low- and lower middleincome economies as quickly and securely as possible. Since January, UNICEF has delivered more than $190 million worth of Covid-19 supplies such as masks, gowns, oxygen concentrators and diagnostic test kits in support of countries as they respond to the pandemic. As the largest single vaccine buyer in the world, UNICEF normally procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine
International flights show promising signs of recovery “Our objective right now is to maintain and grow load factors. In the longer term, we will continue to assess and carefully analyse the market, its performance and needs, which will show if there are more opportunities for us to further expand our presence,” Ms. Wesley said. On his part, Mr. Worlanyo Afadzinu, Country Manager of Asky Airlines, noted that air transport has a crucial role to play in the post-COVID-19 recovery effort. “Many economies are being rebuilt following the negative effect of COVID-19 and air transportation is major catalyst in the growth of many economies. The importance and benefits of air transport to the economies of Africa is clearly acknowledged in the Declaration on the sustainable development of air transport in Africa adopted in Antananarivo in 2015.” Mr. Afadzinu noted that Asky
Airlines, which started an Accra-LoméJohannesburg daily flights on November 19, noted an increased demand on the route that needed to be met. “With our hub operations in Lomé, we connect passengers from over 20 countries to South Africa. This operation is to open up the Air space and reconnect the continent which automatically will generate the needed traffic.There is an increased demand on the route which needs to be satisfied by creating the right product, just as Asky is doing. “This flight also creates the opportunity and opens up the US market to South Africa through our Codeshare flights from Lome to NEWARK and NEW YORK with Ethiopian Airlines. This means that passengers from Johannesburg can fly directly to Lome on Asky and connect Ethiopian Airlines seamlessly to NEWARK or NEW YORK,” he said.
immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries. This unparalleled expertise includes the coordination of thousands of shipments with various cold chain requirements, making UNICEF an expert in supply chain management of temperature-controlled products, which is especially needed during this historic undertaking. To minimise disruptions to routine immunization programmes due to the operations related to the Covid-19 vaccines and syringes, UNICEF and partners will continue to coordinate closely with
logistics operators for timely delivery around the world. “The support of governments, partners and the private sector will be paramount to transport vaccines for deadly diseases such as measles, diphtheria and tetanus, as well as for Covid-19, as efficiently as possible,” Kadilli said. Last month, UNICEF began a process to stockpile more than 1 billion syringes by 2021 to guarantee initial supply and pre-position in advance of Covid-19 vaccines. (logdateafricaup. com)
ROUTE WATCH Accra-Milan-Accra Airline Ethiopian Airlines Royal Air Marroc Turkish Airlines Air France-KLM Brussels Airlines
Cost US$ 557 US$530 US$623 US$ 733 US$ 547
TEL: 055 257 1241 / 055 515 5585
AVIATION GHANA Bombay Jnc. Off George W. Bush Highway, Darkuman Road, Accra Ghana.
Editorial Editor@aviationghana.com Phone: +233 243376878
Sales & AdvertIsing Info@aviationghana.com +233 243376878
news
AVIATION GHANA
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
3
Ethiopian Airlines country manager named Women in MICE winner The airline was also instrumental in transporting Jack Ma Foundationdonated PPEs to Ghana and other African countries free of charge to help fight the pandemic. With thousands of Ghanaians who were stranded abroad as COVID-19 lockdown around the world came into effect, Ethiopian Airlines was readily available to partner the Government of Ghana in repatriating them back home. Additionally, Asky and Ethiopian Airlines, on October 15, 2020 started its Accra to New York via Lomé flights. The service offers the travelling public more options between Accra and the USA. The new service is operated 3x per week on Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. This compliments the Asky/Ethiopian existing 4x weekly flights between Accra and Newark via Lomé. “We are
committed to the Ghanaian market and would continue to work to delight our passengers,” Ms. Yemesrach said. Women In MICE Women In MICE is the largest network for entrepreneurship in the meetings, incentives, conference and event segment. Women In MICE focuses specifically on globe business scenarios for it segment of tourism, emerging start-ups, women in tourism, global brand creation and fostering innovations in entrepreneurship. The MICE recognises creative brilliance. It’s about telling better stories. Stories that provoke conversation, challenge traditions and culture. It celebrates women in tourism, the role of women in sustaining our culture heritage, politics, fashion, music and humanity. It seeks to tear racial divides and embrace culture.
Yemesrach Alemayehu
Artworks to make “spiritual pilgrimage” on Mount Afadzato Florence Sottie, a renowned artist is expected to carry her artwork for exhibition at the peak of Mount Afadzato, the highest mountain in Ghana. Other artists are billed to do same as part of this year’s Pan African artwork exhibition dubbed, “Black Woman and Black Youth of Excellence. Sottie will carry her “very heavy exceptionally remarkable, celebrated and hugely expensive artwork” of 28inches x 40inches, to the peak of the famous mountain, herself. It’s a celebrated work, which is expected to attract huge global interest when it finally reaches the 2900 peak of the Mountain for a global exhibition that will be shown live across the globe before and during the Christmas period. A news brief made available to the Ghana News Agency on the event, said her work was expected to be the most expensive artworks originating from Africa, with its attraction pegged at one per cent of the current Mona Lisa. The brief said the medium of the artwork was a portrayal of Efua Nyarkoa, who reflected the quintessential qualities of the Black Woman of Beauty It said the work was done with beads and plywood, painstakingly
and exquisitely done; with collage technique and rich tones as the beads provided a strong physical presence. The news brief said the colours featured in the work were warm to reflect passion, happiness, enthusiasm, energy and positivity to its viewers. It said the beauty of her work was that it would draw the viewer closer to look and feel the beads to experience and appreciate its significance.
Iconic artworks of Winnie Mandela will also be showcased as part of the global pan African Exhibition. The brief said among the “large body of works” that would make the “spiritual pilgrimage” on Mount Afadzato was the work of artist Isaac Nii Aryeetey who did “a wonderful portrait of Winnie Mandela using buttons, plywood and cloth.” In all, over 40 Efua Nyarkoa and Iconic Winnie Mandela artworks would be carried to Mount Afadzato
for Exhibition, headlined by Florence Sottie’s exceptional and globally acclaimed beads portrait. The journey to the peak would take four days with special pan African cultural events running intermittently with commentary on the importance of the Transformational Leadership events across Africa, the main thrust of the “Decade of the Black Woman and Black Youth of Excellence” events. GNA
4
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
AVIATION GHANA
AVIATION GHANA
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
5
The Boss’ Interview
D
Emergency Medical Evacuation up to US$500,000, valid for COVID-19 (contracted during the trip) and other medical emergencies while traveling abroad.
ubai, UAE is a very popular leisure and business destination for Ghanaian travellers. Post COVID-19 re-opening of the Kotoka International Airport for scheduled passenger flights, Dubai-based Emirates is offering an industry-leading insurance cover and other incentives to stimulate demand and protect travellers in these uncertian times. Catherine Wesley, Emirates’ Country Manager for Ghana, speaks with AviationGhana’s Dominick Andoh on the airline’s operation since September 1 and the innovative insurance policy Emirates has instituted. AviationGhana:: Since the resumption of international flight Operations in Ghana on September 1, demand, as expected, has been relatively low. Are they any specific Marketing promotions to stimulate demand we should expect? CW: Ghana is a very important market for Emirates in West Africa. At the moment, we operate three times a week to Accra, and are seeing relatively good demand across our passenger and cargo operations which is encouraging. From 2nd December, we will resume our pre-COVID routing which will provide Ghanaians direct services to and from Dubai, and hope to resume to our schedule of daily flights to Dubai as passenger demand progressively continues to grow. Our objective right now is to maintain and grow load factors. In the longer term, we will continue to assess and carefully analyse the market, its performance and needs, which will show if there are more opportunities for us to further expand our presence. : Based on your analysis, what is your projection for the Ghanaian market going into Christmas and for next year? CW: We are seeing promising signs of recovery in demand already in Ghana, and this will only grow as we inch closer to the end of the year, and beginning of 2021. As an airline, we will continue to offer more connectivity choices for our customers as demand picks up across our network AviationGhana: : Emirates is gradually re-opening its routes post COVID-19 lockdown in Ghana. Which other popular routes for Ghanaian travellers should we expect to be opened before the year ends? CW: We are fully focused and committed to rebuild our network to pre-pandemic levels in the coming months as more airports and cities reopen. In fact, we aim to have our network fully restored by the summer
Trip Cancellation up to US$7,500 for non-refundable costs if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is unable to travel because they are diagnosed with COVID-19 before the scheduled trip departure date, or for other named reasons - similar to other comprehensive travel cover products. Trip Cancellation or Curtailment up to US$7,500 if the school year is extended due to COVID-19 beyond the departure date, and the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is a full-time teacher, full-time employee, or a student at a primary or secondary school. of 2021. We are working closely with international and local authorities to responsibly and gradually resume passenger operations to meet travel demand, always putting our customers and employees as our top priority when it comes to their health and safety.
restoring our network to preCOVID-19 levels. Currently, we fly to 15 cities in the Far East through our Dubai hub, and to 9 points in the GCC and Middle East, providing optimal connectivity for our customers as we continue to layer on new frequencies and add capacity.
Today, we are serving close to 100 cities, with safe and convenient connections via our Dubai hub for Ghanaian customers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
AviationGhana: : Ghana is seeking to establish a new national carrier with EgyptAir as the strategic partner. How do you anticipate this will impact the aviation industry?
AviationGhana: : How has Emirates’ health cover for passengers who contract COVID-19 on their journey helped to allay the fears of passengers and boosted passenger numbers? CW: We were the first airline in the industry to lead the way and offer customers Covid-19 insurance cover and we can say that this initiative has helped us help our customers travel with more confidence, knowing that the airline will cover medical expenses of up to EUR 150,000 and quarantine costs of EUR 100 per day for 14 days, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel, while they are away from home. We know people are yearning to fly as borders around the world gradually reopen, but they are seeking flexibility and assurances should something unforeseen happen during their travel, and we are seeing demand pick up as customers are more assured to travel. : With the entry of Qatar Airways into Ghana’s aviation sector, there is expected to be increased competition on various Gulf and Far East routes. What’s your take on this? CW: As a matter of policy, we don’t comment on the activities of competitors, but what I can say is that we are working on safely and gradually
CW: Again, we do not comment on the activities of competitors, however the entrance of new players in Ghana will always be good for the customer, providing more choice and connectivity through different regional points Emirates’ Multi-Risk Travel Insurance Coverage Emirates customers can now plan their travels and fly with even greater assurance and peace of mind, with the airline’s latest industry-first initiative to provide expanded, multi-risk travel cover on top of its current COVID-19 cover. Provided by Emirates at no additional cost to its customers, and provided by AIG Travel, this cover is the first of its kind in the airline and travel insurance industry. It is designed to provide all Emirates passengers a truly unique offer for stress-free and hassle-free travel. This new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover will automatically apply to all Emirates tickets purchased from 1 December, and extends to Emirates codeshare flights operated by partner airlines, as long as the ticket number starts with 176. Emirates customers will be covered when they fly to any destination, in any class of travel. Highlights of the coverage include: Out-of-Country Emergency Medical Expenses &
Trip Curtailment up to US$7,500 for non-refundable trip costs and additional costs to return to their country of residence if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) falls critically ill, for instance, contracts COVID-19 while traveling abroad. Travel Abandonment up to US$7,500 if the traveler fails a COVID19-related test or medical screening at the airport and is required to abandon the trip. US$150 per day per person, for up to 14 consecutive days if, while outside of their country of residence, the traveler tests positive for COVID-19, and if they are unexpectedly placed into a mandatory quarantine outside their country of residence by a governmental body. Similar to other multi-risk travel insurance products, Emirates’ generous cover also has provisions for personal accidents during travel, winter sports cover, loss of personal belongings, and trip disruptions due to unexpected air space closure, travel recommendations or advisories. Customers do not need to register or fill in any forms before they travel, and they are not obligated to utilize this cover provided by Emirates. Dubai is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences for visitors. In 2019, the city welcomed 16.7 million visitors and hosted over hundreds of global meetings and exhibitions, as well as sports and entertainment events. Dubai was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.
6
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
news
AVIATION GHANA
Ethiopian cargo launches trans-pacific cargo flight services Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, the Largest Cargo Network Operator in Africa, has launched Trans-Pacific routes, extending from Incheon to Atlanta via Anchorage effective 09 Nov 2020. Ethiopian operates B777-200F, one of the most technologically advanced aircraft on the route, offering a remarkable freight service to our cargo forwarding customers worldwide with reduced flight hour, seamless connectivity and better payload. Regarding the new service, Ethiopian Group CEO, Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “We are delighted to have launched our newest freighter service to our Cargo Forwarder customers worldwide, extending from Incheon to Atlanta via Anchorage in the current global pandemic crisis where speed in the supply chain management is highly required to deliver urgently required goods. Our new cargo service will cut total air transport time significantly between Asia Pacific and North America facilitating fast and efficient global trade.” Ethiopian Airlines has been a key enabler in the global effort to conquer COVID-19 by facilitating the shipment of life-saving medical
supplies to different parts of the world. Housed within the largest trans-shipment terminal in Africa, the state-of-the-art Pharma Wing of Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, has been central to the airline’s effective handling and shipping of medical supplies across the world.
Furthermore, it is in full readiness with all its required capabilities for the distribution of potential COVID-19 vaccine during the forthcoming global distribution. Operating next generation freighters and with Africa’s largest transshipment terminal, Ethiopian Cargo
and Logistics Services facilitates the export of perishables, garments, mining products, and the import of high value industrial products and inputs, pharmaceuticals, among others across its global network.
Zimbabwe: VEEP urges citizens to venture in domestic tourism In an address to over 1000 people at the official opening of Makhado Complex on Friday November 20, Kembo Mohadi, Vice President of Zimbabwe, has urged its citizens to venture in to domestic tourism. This is geared toward making the most out of its new limelight after being pronounced one of the top 15 post-COVID-19 best holiday destinations by an American company. Speaking on, Mohadi stated that the medical and community-based tourism could expand the growth of the tourism sector in Zimbabwe in line with government’s new five-year economic blueprint, the National Development Strategy One (NDS 1). “It is this investment which will create new growth nodes anchored on increased investment in diversified tourism products such as heritage
tourism, medical tourism and community based tourism. This growth should spread benefits throughout the country and I am glad we are witnessing such developments in Beitbridge. I have no doubt that setting up of rural transformative initiatives spearheaded by government will yield notable milestones towards the development of our nation”. The complex; a multipurpose centre 92km north west of Beitbridge, was built by Top Pick, a local company owned by South African-based businessman, Erasmus Marema Nare. The complex has so far created 104 jobs for locals drawn from Beitbridge, Gwanda and Bulawayo. Also, the Vice President called on players in the tourism industry to take advantage of government’s waiver of duty on accessories for tourism like
safari vehicles. He said government had also increased funding to the tourism industry and small industries with a revolving fund to the tune of $500 million and a tourism guarantee facility.
feature
AVIATION GHANA
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
7
Useful tips for the unemployed during COVID-19
By Artur Meyster
D
id you lose your job due to the pandemic? We know that this is difficult to handle, but you should know that this is not the end of the world. The world has seen drastic changes in the economy, health, and daily activities. Millions of people, especially in the aviation and tourism sector, lost their jobs. If you think your chances of success are slim after losing your job, then this article is for you. You will learn some useful tips to deal with unemployment. Enter the Technology Industry Are you clueless when it comes to technology? This is the perfect time to learn! This industry is growing quickly in the United States. Even though 12 million people are working in this industry, according to The Republic, many workers are still needed. Are you interested in being part of this industry? Then you must learn about bootcamps. These schools are toprated institutions that help students gain experience and partake in great projects. Bootcamps are intensive courses lasting around 12 weeks. These schools offer many study alternatives. These are some of the skills that you can learn: • App development
• • • • •
Web development Software engineering Product management Data science Cybersecurity analytics
These courses cost between $7,800 and $21,000, a smart investment considering that a software engineer in the United States can earn an average of $150,000 per year, according to Glassdoor. If you think companies don’t take bootcamp graduates into account, you’re wrong. Schools like Sabio work with Activision, Amazon, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, and many more. Prepare for Job Interviews Being at home is a perfect opportunity to improve your confidence. If you are looking for a job on the Internet, you should prepare for the next interviews. Remote jobs can be more demanding than you think. An interview is essential to make a good first impression. Seed Scientific says that the more challenging the talks are, the more satisfied employers become. The pandemic and being unemployed are no obstacles to getting a job. The popularity of freelance websites has increased since the arrival of Covid-19. Thousands upon thousands of people decided to start remote work and prepared to search for good jobs. If you already got a job offer, what
should you take into account to do a perfect interview? Being unemployed allows you to organize your resume and skills carefully. If you follow these three essential tips, your next interview will be almost perfect. Study all your skills Make a speech that includes all your skills and knowledge but is not selfcentered. Make sure your words match the information on your resume. If the interview is not in your mother tongue, practice the vocabulary. If you are bilingual, don’t trust your knowledge 100 percent. The brain is sometimes tricky. Not practicing vocabulary can be a mistake. Read and make sure you are using the correct words.
don’t worry). Then, calculate the money you will use for important and indispensable things: health, water, electricity, gas, food, and clothes. Remember to save money in case of an emergency. To multiply the money, you can invest in many ways: the stock market and trading apps are trendy options today. The good thing about these alternatives is that you don’t need a lot of money to get started. On sites like Wall Street, there is an opportunity for small numbers ($5-10, for example). It is recommended that you consult videos, books, and courses on investments to have some reference before starting. You may be about to create your dream job!
Study the company The best thing to do before the interview is to get to know the company you want to work for. Check its trajectory, the services it offers, and its power in the city or the country. Create a Savings and Investment Plan Money is essential in this stage of unemployment. It would be best if you created a plan to manage your money until you can get a new job. There are many ways to save during the pandemic. The first thing you should do is organize your weekly expenses and eliminate unnecessary purchases, for example, snacks or entertainment (you will soon be able to do it again,
Conclusion This pandemic defines who you are and all that you can achieve. If you are unemployed, don’t worry, there is no excuse for not making money. If you follow these steps, you will not only be taking care of your health, but you will beat unemployment, and you will be able to walk on the path of success. Take advantage of the time at home and show your best side.
Artur Meyster is the founder of BootcampRankings and Career Karma. He is passionate about helping people switch careers and learn new skills
8
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
AVIATION GHANA
AVIATION GHANA
africa news
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
Nigeria: NCAT receives three new training aircraft
Qatar Airways aids in the repatriation of seafarers
The Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, as taken delivery of the first batch of three training aircraft. This comes in after it was made known in the earlier part of 2020 that NCAT’ re-fleeting program is to include 20 Diamond airplanes; consisting of five twin-engine DA42VI and 15 single-engine DA40 NG, in the subsequent years. The college in 2017, received one DA42-VI. According Senator Hadi Sirika, Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation, there is no better safety than a well-trained proficient aviator. “Training will now be more efficient, faster and cheaper. Our roadmap is yielding good result,” he said. Zaria, which has earned the status of an ICAO Regional Training Centre of Excellence, was designed to be
Qatar Airways is playing an important part in the repatriation of seafarers stranded due to the pandemic, working closely with governments and the maritime industry to operate hundreds of chartered and scheduled flights to help bring home over 150,000 workers. Understanding the difficulties and challenges many of these vital workers have faced in returning home or completing crew changes, Qatar Airways has recently established a dedicated Mariner Lounge at Hamad International Airport. Seafarers and offshore worker passengers can relax and enjoy refreshments in the exclusive Mariner Lounge while they wait for their onward flight. In addition to an international selection of food and beverages, facilities include unlimited high-speed wi-fi, shower facilities, a television area, reading materials and a Business Centre. The combination of an extensive global network with more than 100 destinations, a selection of fuelefficient aircraft to operate charters and the Best Airport in the Middle East has enabled the airline to quickly and seamlessly support the maritime industry to repatriate their workers and facilitate crew changes. The airline’s commitment to take people home has seen it operate charters for maritime workers to many destinations not previously served by Qatar Airways, including Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Bridgetown, Barbados; Lomé, Togo; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. In addition, Qatar Airways sustained operations throughout the pandemic to many important locations for seafarers, such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Singapore. With the support of the maritime industry, Qatar Airways was also able to establish scheduled services to Cebu and Clark in the Philippines. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways recognises the vital role shipping plays and how seafarers are essential to keeping the global economy open and operating. As a gesture of our thanks and to show our support to the industry, we have established a dedicated Mariner Lounge at Hamad International Airport that is complimentary for all seafarers and offshore workers travelling with Qatar Airways. While waiting for their connecting flight they can relax in comfort and enjoy the wide variety of
a training centre for Nigerian and African pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and navigation aid technicians. According NAN, it subsequently created a flying school, air traffic services and communications school and aeronautical electronics and telecommunications school to meet its objectives. In the late 1970s, it began giving specialised training courses in instrument landing systems, jet simulation, airline transport and VHF omnidirectional range. Since its inception, NCAT has produced well over 20,000 professionals for the aviation industry in Nigeria and beyond. It is also a council member of the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO).
South Africa: Tito Mboweni questions SAA bailout plans
The South African Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, after allocating a R10.5 billion as a business rescue plan for South African Airways (SAA), has questioned the necessity of the national airline’s existence. The funds, which is to be made available in January, 2021, was captured in the Finance Minister’s mini budget announcement in October 2020. The R10.5 billion, to be drawn from other budgets including the police and education, would be used to finalize a business-rescue plan that called for cash for severance packages, ticket refunds, creditors and other needs. Although this bailout is known to be in the pipelines, Mboweni’s recent tweets, have raised questions as whether a private company should be given the chance to come in and fill
the gap left by South African Airways’ demise. “Where there is a market gap, a vacuum in a market, an airline will emerge to fill the gap! Will it!? Airlink? Or a restructured SAA?” the minister said. Mboweni has long been an opponent of using state funds to bail out SAA, which has been in bankruptcy protection for almost a year and hasn’t flown a commercial flight since the start of South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown in March. He has clashed with Pravin Gordhan, the public enterprises minister, who has insisted SAA can be restructured, revived and partly sold to a private bidder. Mboweni is a prolific user of Twitter, which he has used both for provocative political statements and pictures of his dinner.
9
refreshments on offer. “Throughout the pandemic, we have worked closely with governments and the maritime industry to operate as many flights as possible to facilitate crew changes and to reunite seafarers with their families and loved ones. While other airlines stopped flying, Qatar Airways pledges to remain open for business to facilitate essential business travel. With plans to further expand our network to more than 125 destinations, we will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to continue to be the airline of choice to keep seafarers and the global economy moving.” Qatar Airways’ strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient, twin-engine aircraft, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying throughout this crisis and perfectly positions it to lead the sustainable recovery of international travel. The airline recently took delivery of three new state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, increasing its total A350 fleet to 52 with an average age of just 2.6 years. Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not environmentally justifiable to operate such a large, four-engine aircraft in the current market. Qatar Airways has also recently launched a new programme that enables passengers to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions associated with their journey at the point of booking. Qatar Airways currently operates more than 700 weekly flights to over 100 destinations across the globe. By the end of the IATA Winter Season, Qatar Airways plans to rebuild its network to 126 destinations including 20 in Africa, 11 in the Americas, 42 in Asia-Pacific, 38 in Europe and 15 in the Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies. A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and socially distanced Business Class product in the sky. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times. (Source: Qatar Airways)
10
NOVEMBER 24-25, 2020
tourism
AVIATION GHANA
UNWTO official visit to Brazil to support sustainable recovery of tourism
T
he Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with the Government of Brazil to help the country’s tourism sector recover and become a key driver of sustainable development. The statement of support came as Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili led a UNWTO delegation to meet with President Jair Bolsonaro and Minister of Tourism Marcelo Álvaro Antônio. Making good on his commitment to resume in-person visits to Member States as soon as possible, Mr. Pololikashvili led the UNWTO delegation to Brazil, on a first visit to the Americas region since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlight of the visit was a meeting with President Bolsonaro, during which SecretaryGeneral Pololikashvili thanked him for making tourism a central part of his government’s agenda and for his ongoing support for UNWTO. The President and his government were cited as a strong example of
Member States working together with UNWTO to advance education and training in the tourism sector, foster innovation, and drive both job creation and investment. Strong support for tourism In meetings between the UNWTO leadership and the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, Minister Marcelo Álvaro Antônio outlined how he has been working to support the sector through the unprecedented crisis posed by the pandemic. Measures taken include advancing US$1 billion of loans to support tourism businesses, as well as promoting investments in the sector, including through modifying the existing legal framework. Alongside this, UNWTO is working closely with private partner Wakalúa, the first global tourism innovation hub, and the Brazilian government to make the country a hub of tourism innovation. Furthermore, the Brazilian government used the occasion of these meetings to again express an interest in hosting a new UNWTO Regional Office for the Americas. The UNWTO delegation also met
with Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ernesto Araújo and shared with him the roadmap to restart tourism designed on the back of continued dialogue with the Global Tourism Crisis Committee. The meeting also focused on the need for stronger cooperation to advance tourism’s contribution to inclusive and sustainable development, including for rural communities across Brazil. UNWTO building confidence in tourism again The UNWTO Secretary-General said: “Tourism is a powerful force for good for Brazil and for all of the Americas. As UNWTO guides the global restart of tourism, we are on our first official visit to the region since the start of the crisis. I thank the Government of Brazil for the ongoing, strong support for tourism and I am particularly encouraged by the commitment to growing innovation in tourism and using the sector as a tool to advance sustainable development for all.” Secretary-General Pololikashvili also used the occasion of the official visit to Brazil to share the steps UNWTO is
AVIATION GHANA Bombay Jnc. Off George W. Bush Highway, Darkuman Road, Accra Ghana.
taking to ensure confidence returns to international tourism. These include plans to introduce a new International Code for the Protection of Tourists, which will also have the additional benefit of spreading responsibility for tourists faced with emergency situations more fairly across the sector. Furthermore, the UNWTO delegation stressed the heightened importance of strong collaboration, both between governments and also between the public and private sectors. Next stop - Uruguay After visiting Brazil, the UNWTO delegation will leave for neighbouring Uruguay where the Secretary-general is expected to meet the country’s political leadership and key public and private tourism players. “I thank the Government of Brazil for the ongoing, strong support for tourism and I am particularly encouraged by the commitment to growing innovation in tourism and using the sector as a tool to advance sustainable development for all.” .
Editorial Editor@aviationghana.com Phone: +233 243376878
Sales & AdvertIsing Info@aviationghana.com +233 243376878