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Gov’t to deploy freight drones to facilitate trade BY DOMINICK ANDOH & ISAAC SETUGAH
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hana is expected to deploy freight drone technology in the coming years to facilitate the timely movement of goods within the country. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the country’s Aviation Ministry and International Freight Drone (IFD) organisation. IFD is expected to deploy freight drones that are capable of carrying 10-tons of shipping container over 700 kms, and build droneports at various parts of the country. Freight drone technology, when fully developed would help get finished goods and fresh agricultural products from the hinterlands to major towns and cities within minutes. Mr. Joseph Kofi. Adda, Minister for Aviation of the Republic of Ghana and Thomas Murphy, Founder and CEO of IFD, signed the understanding that lays out a 3-year plan to introduce freight drones in the country. The signing of the MoU, Mr. Adda noted,
stems from the success of government’s drones program in support of the health sector. “This can be expanded to help the Aviation Ministry fulfill the President’s vision of making Ghana the Aviation Hub of West Africa. The use of
drones will facilitate the rapid movement of cargo to unreachable areas of the country. With Ghana now becoming the centre of AfCFTA means there will be the need to move cargo through the Sub-region and other parts of the continent,” Mr. Adda said.
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UNWTO: 70% of destinations have lifted travel restrictions
Cainiao Partners Ethiopian Airlines to launch Cold Chain Air Freight for COVID-19 vaccine
The number of destinations closed to international tourism has continued to fall. According to the eighth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 70% of all global destinations have eased restrictions on travel introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cainiao Smart Logistics Network (“Cainiao Network”), the logistics arms of Alibaba Group Holdings Limited, today announced its partnership with Ethiopian Airlines (“Ethiopian”) to launch a special cold chain air freight for the transportation of temperature-controlled
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UNWTO: 70% of destinations have lifted travel restrictions In comparison, just one in four destinations continue to keep their borders completely closed to international tourists. Launched by the World Tourism Organization at the start of the pandemic, the Travel Restrictions Report keeps track of measures being taken in 217 destinations worldwide, helping to support the mitigation and recovery efforts of the tourism sector. For this latest edition, the methodology has been updated to offer insights into the tourism flows of destinations, as well as to explore the link between health and hygiene infrastructure, environmental performance and any potential connection to travel restrictions. Steadily opening back up The Report shows that, as of 1 November, a total of 152 destinations have eased restrictions on
international tourism, up from the 115 recorded on 1 September. At the same time, 59 destinations have kept their borders closed to tourists, a decrease of 34 over the same two-month period. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The lifting of travel restrictions is essential to drive our wider recovery from the social and economic impacts of the pandemic. Governments have an important part to play in giving data-led and responsible travel advice and in working together to lift restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.” Who eased restrictions faster? Looking further into current COVID-19-related travel restrictions, the report sheds new light on the factors connecting those destinations which have eased restrictions and those where borders remain closed. The study found that destinations
with higher scores in health and hygiene indicators as well as on the environmental performance index are among those which have eased restrictions faster. Moreover, these destinations are increasingly applying differentiated, risk-based approaches to implementing travel restrictions. In comparison, destinations choosing to keep their borders closed tend to be within emerging economies with relatively low scores in health and hygiene indicators and environmental performance index. The majority of these destinations are in Asia and the Pacific, with many belonging to the SIDS (Small Island Developing States), LDCs (Least Developed Countries) or LLDCs (Landlocked Developing Countries). Regional differences As in previous editions, the new UNWTO Travel Restrictions report
also breaks the destination analysis down by regions. Europe continues to lead the way in lifting or easing travel restrictions followed by the Americas, Africa and then the Middle East. Meanwhile, Asia and the Pacific continues to be the region with the fewest travel restrictions eased and more complete border closures in place for international tourism. Looking ahead, the report highlights the important role governments can play in restarting tourism. Out of the ten biggest tourism source markets, four (representing 19% of all outbound trips in 2018) have issued guidance advising against all non-essential international travel. The other six (representing 30% of all outbound trips in 2018), however, have issued more nuanced travel advisories, basing their guidance on evidence-based risk assessments. (Source: UNWTO)
Gov’t to deploy freight drones to facilitate trade Scope of the MoU The scope of the MOU covers the following areas: Financial Study to determine the impact of using drones; Workforce development through a country-wide drone education program to support the industry; Site Surveys to determine droneport locations; Establish sky lane leases for exclusive drone use; and A threephase implementation process for construction of droneports and to begin operations. IFD will provide expert consultation to an economic think tank selected by the Ghana government to conduct a financial study. IFD will provide cost estimates for droneport building and operations, drone ownership and maintenance plus will help in developing the logistical cost for moving freight via drone within the borders of Ghana. IFD will work with educational companies and the Ministry of Aviation to develop certification programs necessary for working with drones and at droneports. This training includes drone piloting, drone maintenance, flight operations, ground operations and several other areas of study that must be in place before the first freight drone is introduced. During the first phase of implementation, IFD will utilize
manned aircraft in combination with existing drone technology to move products from rural areas to cities. While the freight size will be on a smaller scale, this interim stage will be financially viable for the participating logistics companies and IFD. Over time, new drones will be introduced that will be fully autonomous with the ability to lift more than a ton thus increasing the range and capacity to move products into the world market. While Ghana is the first country to begin this process, several other countries are considering similar agreements with IFD to introduce the freight drone industry to their country. Success of Zipline The country’s largest drone delivery service was launched at Omenako in the Eastern Region in April 2019 to improve healthcare delivery, especially in hard-to-reach areas. The project operate 24 hours a day, throughout the week, from four distribution centres with each centre initially equipped with 30 drones to deliver essential medicines and blood products to about 2,000 health facilities. Operated by Zipline, the medical drone service reaches an estimate 14 million people across the country, especially in the remote areas, to deliver on-demand and emergency
deliveries of 148 different vaccines and life-saving medications. All the four centres have the capacity to make up to 600 on-demand delivery flights a day, with each centre having the capacity to fly 500 essential medical products per day. With demand for movement of
cargo in-country expected to increase with the coming into force of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) next year, implementation of the freight drone technology will greatly enhance Ghana’s competitiveness.
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Cainiao Partners Ethiopian Airlines to launch Cold Chain Air Freight for COVID-19 vaccine medicines from Shenzhen Airport, China’s first medical cross-border cold chain facility. Temperature-controlled medicines will be distributed twice a week from Shenzhen to Africa, and to the rest of the world via Dubai and Addis Ababa. This is China’s first cross-border medical cold chain route to be operated regularly and is certified to transport temperature-controlled medicines including COVID-19 vaccines. The end-to-end transportation process requires a highly effective cold chain management. During air freight, the entire cold chain cabin is equipped with a temperature control system that monitors the cabin’s temperature in real-time. As the fourth airport in Mainland China that obtained International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification for pharmaceutical logistics, Shenzhen Airport is also well-equipped to handle biotechnology products. The cargo terminal in Ethiopia is outfitted with compartmentalized cold storage
facilities with temperature between -23℃ to 25℃. It occupies an area of 54,000 square metres, with dedicated cool dollies and pharma team, as well as real-time temperature monitoring system to ensure a safe and seamless cold chain logistics for handling temperature sensitive healthcare products. “Cainiao’s global logistics network spans over 200 countries and regions, providing end-to-end integrated logistics services, including digital customs clearance capabilities,” said James Zhao, General Manager of Cainiao International Supply Chain. He added that: “The launch of the cold chain air freight has further bolstered our global logistics capabilities, and allow us to offer a one-stop solution for the global distribution of medical products such as the Covid-19 vaccines.” Tewolde GebreMariam, Ethiopian Group CEO said: “Ethiopian Airlines will repeat its remarkable and globally recognized success in leading the fast delivery of PPEs few months ago with similar delivery speed, professional
handling and maintaining the cold chain during the forthcoming global distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. In anticipation of the Covid-19 vaccine release, we will be at the forefront to further discharge our responsibility in the distribution of the vaccine across the globe.” Cainiao’s launch of the “Green Channel” Initiative this year to fight
the pandemic has helped in the distribution of 250 million pieces of PPEs, including Covid-19 test kits, to medical suppliers in over 150 countries and regions. In collaboration with its partners, Cainiao has also helped to transport medical relief items for international organizations during the pandemic outbreak.
‘Year of Return’ gold medallion goes on sale A special gold coin designed to commemorate the ‘Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ campaign christened Sankofa Medallion, has been unveiled. “The world of gold medallions and coins has existed for many centuries, but only a fraction of that belongs to African history,” Brenda Joyce, Founder of African Heritage Precious Metals said after a special presentation on the Sankofa Medallion. “Gold treasures commemorate historical events or heroes of a time.” The coin is designed to create a sense of pride, promote legacy, and is an eternal reminder of the ‘Year of Return’. The medallion is available as part of a collection of jewellery created in different styles to suit each customer’s lifestyle needs. There is the signature medallion coin, pendant, dangle earrings, cufflinks, a ring, bracelet and pin. All the styles are made using pure 14k or 18k gold and available in different sizes. Each comes with a certificate of authenticity verifying it is pure gold. The ‘Year of Return’ was one of the most successful campaigns in Ghana’s history that welcomed members of the diaspora community to Ghana.
The year was filled with such a renewed energy about Africa and the continent overall. It was a time when everyone was looking for keepsakes to remind them of what a monumental year it was. This is exactly why African Heritage Metals Ltd., launched the Sankofa Medallion. To provide something that would be an eternal reminder of the significance and legacy of the ‘Year of Return’. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was presented with his very own Sankofa Medallion during a Breakfast event in December 2019 when he announced plans for ‘Beyond the Return’ to be the follow up to Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ campaign. Brenda Joyce personally presented the medallion to the president at the Kempinski Hotel to signify the official launch of the gold medallion. Brenda Joyce has over 25 years of experience in the precious minerals and jewelry industry. She’s passionate about celebrating African history, heritage, culture and celebrating the heroes of the past. Ghana is one of the two top producers of gold in Africa. Despite being one of Ghana’s biggest mineral exports, gold also accounts for huge losses for Ghana because its
potential is not fully realized. Most gold is exported in its raw state and unrefined resulting in a lower value. Joyce recognized the power of the dollar in the diaspora community and feels it was best to encourage our communities to invest their money in items that have a significant value both economically and historically. The Sankofa Medallion does just that. African Heritage Metals strongly believes that buying one of their mediallions is not only a keepsake and
memory of the ‘Year of Return’, but it’s also an investment in something that adds value to their lives. It’s an opportunity to acquire something made of pure gold that has beauty, celebrates history and grows in value as the price of gold increases. Also, ‘The Return Conversations’; a series of panel discussions designed to help bridge the gap between Ghanaians and our diaspora communities, recently held a masterclass to equip Ghanaian artistes with music business knowledge. Some of the creatives in Ghana who attended the event in-person included Urban Gospel Artist, Jo Church, Hiphop & Afrobeats Artist Amerado, Fashion Designer Jennifer Cole, Hiplife & Afrobeats artist Krymi, Urban Gospel Artist Kobby Salm, Gospel Artist Jayana, and Afrobeats Artist Nankym. ‘Beyond the Return’, a follow-up of ‘Year of Return’, is a 10-year project under the theme, “A decade of African Renaissance. It is geared towards a platform for engagements among the people of African descent, wherever they may currently be living. (Source: VisitGhana)
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Domestic tourism to continue upward trend despite threat of COVID-19 second wave BY PHILIP GEBU
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n recent weeks, there has been talk of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic following easing of restrictions and people not adhering to the COVID – 19 protocols. It is a fact that many people especially in Ghana have relax when it comes to the wearing of nose mask. Some churches have also taken it easy on the implementation of the safety protocols. Some are even allowing children in churches and do not see the need to wear a mask. Drinking bars and pubs are equally guilty and when the week-ends arrives, if you were someone was brought from another planet, the scene experienced is nothing close to the new normal. It may seem business as usual. Internationally, many countries that have eased restrictions and due to the same challenges, we face here, have had to battle with this second wave surge. In Europe the new surge in Covid-19 cases and the reintroduction of travel restrictions have halted European tourism recovery with international tourist arrivals to Europe down 68% halfway through the year relative to 2019. That is according to the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) latest quarterly report “European Tourism: Trends & Prospects” for Q3 2020 which has been closely monitoring the evolution of the pandemic throughout the year and analyzing its impact on travel and tourism. The easing of pandemic restrictions across Europe led to a slight pick-up in July and August 2020 compared to earlier months, signaling people’s enthusiasm and desire to travel again. However, the recent re-imposition of lockdowns and travel restrictions has quickly halted any chance of an early recovery. Looking at the months ahead, heightened uncertainty and downside risks continue to dampen the outlook with European arrivals set to decline 61% in 2020. Digging deeper into the above numbers, Mediterranean destinations Cyprus and Montenegro saw the steepest falls in arrivals at a distressing 85% and 84% respectively, attributable to a higher dependency on foreign travellers. Among the other countries most impacted are Romania where arrivals plunged 80%; Turkey (-77%); Portugal and Serbia (both -74%). Island destinations, Iceland and Malta (both -71%) also
performed poorly, challenged by their geographical location and strict border restrictions. On the contrary, Austria appears to have benefitted from pre-Covid-19 winter travel at the start of the year, resulting in a decline of just 44% for the year to September. A greater reliance on short-haul trips also placed Austria in a strong position to attain a less volatile recovery as restrictions in the country have eased much quicker than other countries. This further highlights the need for member state cooperation across Europe as the disparity of approaches regarding travel restrictions has depressed travel demand and consumer confidence. A recent survey by IATA suggests that travel restrictions are as much a travel deterrent as the perceived risk of catching the virus itself. Harmonised solutions towards testing and tracing, along with quarantine measures will be crucial to mitigating the downside risks across Europe. The future trend from expect as we can see from the data in Europewhich may be applicable in Africa- is to turn to domestic tourism which is seen as the best short-term solution. I travelled last weekend and decided to make a short stop at the Bonsu Arboretum. The purpose was to find out if domestic tourists were visiting the facility. I was exited to hear from them that the attendance has been massive especially from Thursdays to Sundays. With the introduction of new activities tourists have many interesting things to make their visit a memorable one. According to the guide it took the local engineers one year to build the walkway using
materials such as wood, safety net, aluminum ladder, nails, bolts and knots among others. The walkway is Two Hundred and Eighty (280) meters long, forty feet (40ft) high and has five (5) bridges. Other features of the edifice are the six platforms and fences where tourists can rest whiles on tour of the walkway. The forty (40) acres arboretum is home to diverse plant species with over 600 timber trees, 110 species of birds and 300 species of butterflies. The Bunso Arboretum is situated about 165km from Ghana’s capital city Accra and about 3km from the Bonsu junction from the Accra-Kumasi road. It is about 30 minutes? drive from Koforidua, and is sited close to the Seed Production Unit of the Ghana Cocoa Board. Until recently, the centre was managed by the Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute (PGRRI) of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and has been the habitat of some over 300 butterfly species, 600 tropical trees and over 110 birds, some of which are rare and could only be found at this forest. The 320-metre long walkway has five bridges and six platforms where tourists can make stopovers to explore and soak in the breath-taking fauna and flora. The centre can also serve as venue for corporate games or outings where after a hardworking week, one can escape to the cool and natural environment at the centre to relax and have fun. You can count on the well experienced tour guides at the facility to answer all your questions and take you round for a very exciting historic experience. Future outlook & shift in traveller preferences
Domestic tourism is the future of tourism. COVID-19 has highlighted this very importantly. In Europe, they acknowledge the importance of domestic and intra-European travel cannot be understated in terms of the role it will play in the recovery of the tourism sector over the coming months. In a welcome update, the latest forecasts predict a quicker rebound for domestic travel in Europe, surpassing 2019 levels by 2022. European short-haul arrivals are also projected to bounce back faster by 2023, being helped by a swifter easing of travel restrictions and a lesser perceived risk compared to long-haul trips. Overall travel volumes are now projected to return to pre-pandemic levels only by 2024. The Covid-19 pandemic is also impacting destination choices within particular European countries. The summer season has shown a significant increase in those seeking to travel to rural and coastal locations, clearly as a result of concerns regarding visits to highly-populated urban locations, where it is more difficult to practice social distancing. This change in travel preferences may ultimately mitigate the issue of over-tourism and allow destinations to boost sustainable tourism demand. Increased travel interest for secondary destinations will relieve some popular tourist hotspots that previously struggled to cope with excessive travel demand and will help spread the economic benefits of tourism more evenly within countries. After our general elections next week, it is likely our borders will reopen and that will enhance trans ECOWAS movements. That will also enhance domestic tourism within the region. We however must ensure the safety protocols are adhered.
Philip Gebu is a Tourism Lecturer. He is the C.E.O of FoReal Destinations Ltd, a Tourism Destinations Management and Marketing Company based in Ghana and with partners in many other countries. Please contact Philip with your comments and suggestions. Write to forealdestinations@gmail. com / info@forealdestinations.com. Visit our website at www.forealdestinations.com or call or WhatsApp +233(0)244295901/0264295901. Visist our social media sites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: FoReal Destinations.
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Airlines happy with positive vaccine news oon after the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer along with German biotech firm BioNTech announced positive result from their Covid-19 vaccine trial, US airlines experienced surge in ticket booking igniting hopes of travel return after pandemic pause. United Airlines mentioned over 19% to end the day at $41.32 on the other hand Delta Air Lines experienced a sudden surge of 17% to $36.77. American Airlines also witnessed a sudden surge of 17%, and shares of other also increased suddenly after this news. For past few months the airline stocks were particularly sensitive to
the pandemic condition as the rise in virus infections restricted people from flying and the travel industry witnessed a sudden decrease in ticket booking. This situation even forced a sudden drop in the revenue generation. Though with this sudden news of vaccine the demands increased, yet it is far below the normal levels. United’s CEO Scott Kirby has said he expects revenue to plateau at half of 2019 levels without a widely available vaccine. Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 among those without evidence of prior infection.
Hamad International Airport first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be Awarded 5-Star COVID-19 airport safety rating by Skytrax Hamad International Airport has become the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating by Skytrax. The audit evaluated how effectively COVID-19 policies are implemented at Qatar’s airport against the Skytrax COVID-19 safety rating standards. The COVID-19 audit conducted was conducted over 3 days in October and is based on a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis and ATP sampling tests, with the consistency of standards being a key determinant in the final rating applied. The Audit evaluated and verified the practicality and usefulness of physical distancing protocols, as well as the quality and availability of hand hygiene facilities across HIA’s terminal. The audit also assessed cleaning effectiveness and identified any potential contamination sources to ensure that the airport’s hygiene standards are complying with the most stringent requirements. During the audit, Skytrax inspected and evaluated the standards of staff personal protective equipment (PPE) and their adherence to using them, as well as the implementation of thermal temperature screening procedures, face mask regulations and the overall cleanliness and hygiene standards across the airport. Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer at Hamad International Airport said: “We are proud that our COVID-19 policies and
protocols are recognized by Skytrax and that we are the first in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Rating. Since the inauguration of Hamad International Airport in 2014, Skytrax ranking has always played an important role in HIA’s self-assessment and served as a quality benchmark to keep up with passenger expectations and operational excellence. HIA prides itself on its status as a 5-Star Airport for the fourth consecutive year, and a 5-Star COVID-19 Airport by Skytrax.” The Skytrax COVID-19 Airport Rating provides an independent analysis of an airport’s COVID-19 hygiene and safety measures, assessing over 400 factors in a typical airport travel sequence. Conducted over a few days, auditors test and evaluate the airport’s COVID-19 procedures personally. Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said: “Hamad International Airport has achieved great success in delivering COVID-19 protocols that are providing a safe environment for customers and staff. In areas such as hand hygiene and social distancing, Hamad International Airport has good procedures in place. The airport is also meeting high standards of sanitisation across the high-contact points. The consistency of COVID-19 safety procedures and systems is excellent, and this is a critical factor behind being able to certify Hamad International Airport with the 5-star COVID-19 Safety Rating.” As Qatar’s state-of-the-art hub
continuously prioritizes passenger convenience and safety, the airport recently installed 15 PPE vending machines across its terminal to ensure passengers can easily access various disposable and washable PPE equipment, including masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, and face shield products. Physical distancing floor stickers are installed in front of every PPE vending machine to safeguard passengers safety. HIA also invested in Smart Screening Helmets – wearable intelligent helmets that are portable, safe, and effective in enabling contactless temperature measurement. This is in addition to UV disinfectant robots, which are fully autonomous mobile devices, emitting concentrated UV-C light that eliminates the majority of infectious microorganisms. The robots are being deployed in vulnerable high passenger flow areas to reduce the spread of pathogens. Additionally, HIA recently installed C2 technology, the latest security screening system, which is a significant counter COVID-19 measure, that reduces possible cross-contamination in passenger carry-on bags. The
implementation of the technology elevates the airport’s hygiene standards, by limiting human contact at security checkpoints, making the process safer and faster for both staff and passengers. HIA is also one of the few global airports to offer a contactless and paperless airport experience with the introduction of biometric identification technology, in addition to touchless elevator keys. HIA maintains stringent cleaning procedures in line with international standards. The airport continues to implement a 1.5m physical distancing across all passenger touchpoints around the airport, through floor markings, signage, and distanced seating. All passenger touchpoints are sanitized regularly and all gates and bus gate counters are cleaned after each flight. The airport also conducts regular disinfection of all baggage trolleys and tubs. HIA’s retail and food and beverage outlets encourage contactless and cashless transactions through cards and are considering introducing online or in-app purchases in the future.
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Meet the first black African Captain at Cathay Pacific
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hen Captain Obet Mazinyi first landed a job in Hong Kong in 1991, he was the only Black African pilot in Hong Kong. Obet is currently a senior instructor and examiner/Check Captain with Cathay Pacific, on the Boeing 747-400ERF and Boeing 747-8. Captain Obet has a huge and loyal following on Instagram. He takes his followers right into the Boeing 747 flight deck, where he regularly shares nuggets of knowledge about the much loved jumbo. In this interview he shares a detailed and fascinating account of his flying story. 1. Give us your background. I was born in Harare, Zimbabwe with my roots going all the way to Wedza district of Zimbabwe. Although I am from Zimbabwe, quite a large chunk of my education was in Zambia. In the mid 1960’s, my parents moved to Zambia. I’ve been happily married to my lovely wife Persy for 29 years. My present situation is that I am a Senior instructor and examiner/Check Captain with Cathay Pacific airways on the Boeing 747-400ERF and Boeing 747-8. I have been with Cathay Pacific now for close on 26 years but a total of 31 years with Cathay group airlines including Air Hong Kong. I am based in the beautiful and vibrant city of Hong Kong 2. What made you to choose to learn flying and become a pilot? At the age of seven I was sent to boarding school in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city. It was this move that got me hooked on flying. Why you ask? Well, to get me to my boarding school we had to fly to Lusaka via Ndola. It was my first time getting on an aeroplane, a Douglas DC-3. As I pulled myself forward to my seat (as the DC-3 is a tailwheel aircraft) I could see the pilots and that was it, I was going to be a pilot. As if the flight itself was not enough, the school I went to in Lusaka was opposite, albeit some distance away, from Lusaka international airport; on clear days, in the playground, you could watch and hear aircraft taking off and landing. Aircraft in those days were loud, which was just such a beautiful sound! They were VC-10’s, Boeing 707’s, DC-8’s, DC-9’s and BAC 1-11 to name but a few. 3. Tell me the early struggles and challenges you faced as a student pilot or junior pilot. The same struggles or issues that exist today, as far as finding a sponsor to fund the training as a pilot, existed in those days too. Financing a pilot course has always been an expensive exercise. The main difference though is that a lot of the major airlines had a budget to sponsor their own pilots; with the proviso that you would have to sign a bond to promise to work for the
sponsoring airline for at least 4 years before you could leave, if you even wanted to leave that is. Entry salaries were also low during your 4 year period, as you were inexperienced and you were bonded anyway or you had to pay back the money if you resigned. There were very few training schools in Africa so all or most of the training meant going to the UK, USA or Australia. I first got into a government flight school after a tough selection process, where there were more than 3000 applicants for 10 places for pilot training. That flight school still exists today, Zambia Air services Flying Institute (ZASTI). After I attained my Private Pilots Licence(PPL) I got a sponsorship through Zambia Airways to a British Airways flying college in the UK, the College of Air Training, at Hamble, in Southampton. I graduated in early 1981 with a commercial Pilot’s licence and Instrument Rating. 4. How many airplane types have you flown? I’ve been fairly fortunate in my flying career as I’ve flown some of the iconic aircraft of old and some of the newer ones too. So the list is something like this, Cessna 150, Cessna 152, Cessna 172, Cessna 182, Piper Cherokee PA28180C/E, Piper Tomahawk, Beechcraft Baron D-55, Dehavilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, Douglas DC-3 and C-47 version, Vickers Viscount VC-7 and VC-8, BAe146-200, Airbus A300-600, Airbus A310, B737-200A, Boeing 707300 series, B747-100/200/300/400 and not forgetting the B747-8. 5. Are you one of first African pilots in Cathay? How did you land the job in Hong Kong? If you said African, I would say not the first; but if you said Black African pilot to work in Hong Kong, then the answer is YES! to the best of my knowledge at least. When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I was certainly the only Black African to be in Hong Kong. I originally joined Air Hong Kong on the Boeing 707. It was on the encouragement of the former Chief pilot that I had worked with in Zimbabwe, Captain Dave Warburton, that I made the leap from my national airline, Air Zimbabwe, in 1989. I had just become a Captain on the Boeing 707 in Air Zimbabwe when an opportunity opened up; Air Hong Kong had just acquired another B707 and they were in need of type rated pilots. I fitted the bill perfectly and Dave told me to put my application in. I fortunately had a United Kingdom Airline Transport Pilots licence (ATPL), together with my Zimbabwe licences, so the conversion to a Hong Kong licence, which was under the British system at that time, was easy. Thus began my adventure in the Far East, based at Kai Tak airport. 6. What’s the difference of flying
the B747-400 and the B747-8? So, differences in flying characteristics between the B747-400 and the B7478? If I go back to the original B747-100 that I first flew; I’d say the B747-100 seemed perfectly balanced in terms of thrust to weight ratio, it really handled very well. The B747-400 is obviously bigger and has a modified wing, it is a lot more sensitive in lateral control but still a beauty to fly. The B747- 8 is certainly smoother to control than the B747-400. Its only subtle but experienced B747 pilots can certainly discern the slight differences. Truth be told, they are all amazing aircraft to handle and I’m happy to fly any of them. 7. Did you do any Kai Tak landings? How was it? As I mentioned before, I was based at Kai Tak and flew into the airport on B707 and B747’s. The Boeing 707 coming into Kai Tak runway 13 was sometimes a challenge in a strong crosswind. A pilot could not fly into Kai Tak unless they had first observed an approach on the jump seat in the aircraft, then spent time in simulator sessions. Finally you flew in with another pilot, usually an instructor, for your first approach and landing. I always walked away from the B707 with a great deal of satisfaction in having handled a poor visibility, crosswind landing into Kai Tak. When I then started flying into Kai Tak on the B747, it was still as exhilarating. The thing about Kai Tak was that pilots of airliners were always extra cautious landing there, because of the mountain on approach and the displaced runway threshold; it is fascinating that, due to the degree of difficulty it sometimes presented, there were not many aircraft incidents at the airport. 8. What’s your favourite route in the Cathay system? I flew the B747-400 passenger services for 11 years until they were discontinued in 2016. My favourite route was always Hong Kong to San Francisco. Now I only fly the Freighter version of the B747-400, and of course the B747-8, and enjoy the regional route to Singapore and Penang. Long Haul, I enjoy trips to Miami and New York.
9. If you had a chance to start all over again, would you still choose to be a pilot? Ha! If I had to do all this again, I would do it the same without a second thought; why would anyone want to do anything else other than get airborne?! I would however liked to have had the opportunity to fly to space as well. I’m fascinated by spaceflight and the Universe in general, I do a lot of star gazing too! 10. Please mention one or two special memories of yours, related to aviation. Special memories for me in aviation are as follows. I’ve had the opportunity in my career to fly a B747-400 aircraft to its final retirement resting place. We flew from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and then the next day to Pinal airport in Arizona. The aircraft was a previously owned by South African Airways as a passenger jet, registered as ZS-SAV. Cathay Pacific purchased it and converted it to a Freighter or B747-400BCF in 2007, registered in Hong Kong as B-HUR. In 2017, it was finally retired and I flew it to Pinal Air Park, Marana, in Arizona. A second memorable moment was in 2016, when I delivered Cathay Pacific Airways last Boeing 747-8 from Boeing field in Seattle to Hong Kong. Its was iconic as her very first landing was in Hong Kong, on runway 25R, a proud moment for me indeed. 11. Any advice or wise words to future aviators? My advice to future aviators is this: Fly aircraft with enthusiasm and review procedures at least once every day, even if it is only for 10 minutes. Remember also that the best aircraft in the world is always the aircraft that you happen to be currently flying; if you fly a Cessna, then that is the best aircraft in the sky. When you change aircraft to another type, then that will become the best aircraft. Finally, there is NO substitute for experience; be patient and make steady progress to reach the senior positions on the flight deck. (Source: samchui.com)
10
DECEMBER 2-4, 2020
tourism
AVIATION GHANA
Serenity amidst pandemic and election BY NATASHA APPIAH
F
or the longest of time, Ghana’s major tourism promoters have mostly focused on the Central Region of the country. However, with innovation and rebranding by indigenes, not just newer, but also educative and serene destinations across the various regions of the country are being made available to both domestic and foreign tourists. The current global pandemic initially prompted lockdowns across the world and a halt in air travel. Businesses in the travel and tourism sector were heavily impacted. This has led to closure of many businesses and many layoffs. Through stakeholder efforts both locally and internationally and the lifting of air travel ban, so long as the safety protocols are adhered to, there is hope for recovery not only in the travel and tourism sector, but another opportunity for the diaspora to reconnect with their roots under the Beyond The Return initiative. Through the process of recovery, destinations such as Luxury Beach Resort, The Palms in Prampram, Safari Valley Resort, Tambec Food Court and a few others are turning out to be the go-to destinations for tourists seeking the peace and quiet that nature has to offer. These destinations provide a healing refuge from the heavy traffic jams and loud noise from campaign vehicles as political parties turn up the volume as the December 7 elections draw near. Beaches, while serving as means of livelihood for fishermen in our local communities, has always been one of the best places to sooth the soul. Many kids who have had the opportunity of growing in fishing community, over the decades, have had a story to tell on how it made them experts in swimming. Over at Luxury Beach Resort, guests are granted an affordable view of a clean shore to not only enjoy the beauty of nature but also beautiful facilities that promote enjoyable individual and group activities and picture-perfect moments. This beach, on the Krokobite Road, a suburb of Accra, is close to wellknown and established places such as Bojo Beach, West Hills Mall and eateries such as Eddy’s Pizza.
In recent times, a few of our resorts offer canoe rides; an experience many city dwellers would otherwise have experienced only by visiting remote communities or through narrations of fellow citizens from such places where the most common means of transportations is through canoe rides or by foot. Another location for experiencing the Ghanaian culture is Tambec
Food Court located also in the city of Accra. This destination does not only offer you taste of our local delicacies, but and chance to play our age-old strategic game of Oware. Oware, a game with technicalities like that of the game of Chess, according to history, was a game played by our fore fathers as it helped in their strategies for war; determining strengths and weakness of opponents.
AVIATION GHANA Bombay Jnc. Off George W. Bush Highway, Darkuman Road, Accra Ghana.
Also serving as an attraction in this era of social distancing and wearing of nose masks, is the innovative use of wood by stakeholders. The Palms, currently makes use of the recently developed paddled hand washing equipment. Africa has always had a rich culture and its individual country with their individual uniqueness is gradually opening major possibilities in tourism.
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