Ghanaians Take Two Africaone Aircraft

Jul 26, 2003

GHANA Airways, the West African country's national airliner, has taken two aircraft, previously used by Uganda's defunct AfricaOne airline.

By Geoffrey Kamali
GHANA Airways, the West African country's national airliner, has taken two aircraft, previously used by Uganda's defunct AfricaOne airline.

The planes, both DC9s, were flown out of Entebbe International Airport to Ghana Friday after being grounded there for over eight months.

A US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing Capital Corporation (BCC) which owns the aircraft, repossessed them months ago after AfricaOne closed down its operations.

Igni Igunduura, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman, confirmed yesterday the two aircraft were flown out Friday after over eight months while grounded there.

“Yea, that's true. They were taken over the weekend. That has all along been their plan (to take them),” he said.

Under the deal, BCC leases the two 26-year-old aircraft to Ghana Airways for a six-month renewable contract.

BCC recently opened up a regional office in Ghana to position itself in the African aviation market. Both planes have 106 seats each, 96 of which are economy class and 16 first class seats.

AfricaOne suspended its operations in April, with officials saying they were restructuring the company.

Later, the CAA seized the planes over a staggering debt of US$344,957 (sh676.1b) and sh420,210 owed by AfricaOne separately, in passenger service charges, office space and air navigation services.

AfricaOne, however, later flew in another plane, a DC10, which CAA has since held in lieu of the debt.
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