Passionair, a local domestic carrier, operated an inaugural flight from Kotoka International Airport (ACC) to Ho Airport (HZO) on Wednesday 1st December 2021.
In a beautiful ceremony at Ho Airport, the airline announced the commencement of its first commercial flight to the destination starting from 4th December 2021 with a fare of GH¢209.
A representative from the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Captain Budu Koomson, made it known that the venture will limit the hassle of travelling by road from Accra to Ho and vice versa: “We will ease the travel stresses on people who are travelling to and from Ho,” he said.
He asserted that: “This will open up the whole ecomomy to the socio-economic potential of Ho, the region and its environment”. He pledged the support of GACL with all stakeholders involved to realize the full potential of Ho Airport for the benefit of indigenes and the country as a whole.
From the head of security for the Ho airport, Lt. Col. Appiah, the security team were ready to support Passionair flights to Ho. “Without security nothing much can be achieved, and my team and myself are ready to support this project to succeed,” he said.
The Chief of Ho Dome and the Warlord of Asogli state, Togbe Adzi Lakle Howusu XII, tasked government to set up a flight school and aircraft maintenance centre at the airport to encourage others to make use of it in order to maximize the potential of Ho Airport.
“Our plea is that a pilot training school will be set up in Ho tohelp boost business from this airport; and in addition there should be an aircraft maintenance workshop set up here, which would go a long way to servicing all aircraft in the sub-region,” he said.
According to the airline’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Samuel Razak Tachie, during a survey of the town “we came to the realisation that Ho did not have active travel agencies, and so our coming into Ho is indirectly going to create a job opening in the travel market, in the agency area”.
He reiterated that persons who are interested in the travel business can set up their own travel agencies and sign up with the airline to sell their tickets. “The travel agencies come at a commission; you sell a ticket and you get a commission from it,” Takyi said. This, he stressed, will create job opportunities for people in the community.
The US$25million airport with a 1,000 passenger capacity was completed in 2018. Passionair will be the first domestic carrier to begin commercial operations: on Saturday 4th of December 2021 with a twice-weekly flight on Saturdays and Sundays from Accra at 6.30am and Ho at 7.30am with a 40-minute block time
