Despite & Co are the answer to the quest for a national carrier – McDan
The Chairman of the McDan Group of Companies, Daniel McKorley, says the interest by Ashanti Airlines in partnering with the government for the establishment of a home-based carrier is the answer to the nation’s quest for a new flag carrier.
He said, given the success of the two main investors behind Ashanti Airlines—Osei Kwame Despite and Ernest Ofori Sarpong—the home-based carrier project will succeed if the government chose to partner them.
“Government can partner with the private sector and leave it in the hands of the private sector to manage and it will be successful.
“I commend Despite for taking the bold initiative to partner the government in the establishment of the National Carrier. We will all support them. When I saw the news, I jubilated because it is the answer to one of our problems in the aviation sector. They will be successful,” he told AviationGhana at the opening of the first Private Jet Lounge at the Kotoka International Airport that is managed by McDan Aviation.
Under the brand name Ashanti Airlines, the shrewd business partners have already acquired an Air Carrier Licence (ACL) and have submitted the required documents for the first phase of the regulatory processes leading to the granting of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
The two licences are required by the aviation sector regulator, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to be able to operate as an airline in Ghana.
Ashanti Airlines, AviationGhana sources say, has already made their intention to partner the government to establish a new home-based carrier known to the Committee Established by the Minister for Transport, Kweku Ofori Asiamah, to vet all proposals for the initiative.
Ashanti Airlines, thus, becomes one of the two local-investor-backed companies seeking to partner the government. The other potential local partner being JNH Group.
The Despite Group is one of the biggest media companies in Ghana and also owns a number of non-media related businesses in the finance and food and beverage sector.
Ghana has been without a national airline since the collapse of Ghana International Airlines in 2010, following the demise of Ghana Airways in 2004.
