Domestic Airline operator, Passion Air, says it will consider seeking assistance from the government’s stimulus package to strenghten its operations amidst the economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Sales and Marketing Manager for Passion Air, Samuel Razak Tachie, in an interview with Citi Business News said support from Government should ease the burden associated with the potential shortfall in revenue, considering some adjustments that have to be made in order to comply with the outlined safety protocols for flight operations.
The government has set aside one billion cedis to support households and businesses to minimize the impact of the Coronavirus.
Mr. Tachie explained to Citi Business News they will not hesitate to tap into the opportunity to aid their operations.
“This is a global trend; everybody is rushing to the government for support and the government is also seeking funds from other sources. So obviously everybody needs support and we do too. With the current dynamics, globally, everybody is rushing to the government for support, so it is not out of place for any organization or entity to seek support from the government,” he remarked.
Domestic airlines suspended flight operations for about four weeks ostensibly due to the partial lock down in Accra and parts of Kumasi.
Following the resumption of work on Friday, May 1, 2020, the operators have been compelled to reduce the number of passengers per flight by about 50%.
In addition, all passengers are mandated to wear a nose mask and carry an acceptable quantity of hand sanitizer on them.
Already, the Director General for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Simon Allotey, on the onset of the restriction of entry into Ghana by shutting down the country’s borders, i.e. air, land and sea, in March, said the revenue from the airport, is expected to reduce by about 20%.
This is expected to rise significantly as the restricted entry has been extended by one more month.
