United Airlines has inaugurated a three-times-weekly service between its hub at the Washington Dulles International Airport and the Kotoka International Airport, celebrating the arrival of its first flight to Accra nine years after exiting Ghana.
United was welcomed back to Ghana on Saturday, May 15.
The new service is being operated with a state-of-the-art Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring United’s award-winning United Polaris business class cabin and United Premium Plus.
United is the only carrier serving Accra nonstop from Washington D.C.
Marking this special occasion, customers, guests, United employees and crew joined Marcel Fuchs, United’s Managing Director of International Sales; Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network and Alliances; Yaw Kwakwa, Ghana Airports Company Limited’s Managing Director; Charles Kraikue, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority’s Director-General; Stephanie S. Sullivan, the US Ambassador to Ghana and Kweku Ofori Asiamah, Ghana’s Transport Minister, for a special water cannon salute and ceremony to welcome the arrival of United Flight UA996 from Washington D.C.
“We are thrilled with our new service between Washington D.C. and Accra, which further expands our Africa route network and provides our customers from Ghana with direct access to the US capital, as well as to over 100 destinations beyond our hub,” said Patrick Quayle, United’s Vice President of International Network and Alliances, who arrived in Accra on the first flight.
The Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yaw Kwakwa, highlighted the benefits this move would have on Ghana’s aviation industry.
“This is a demonstration of the confidence placed in Ghana’s aviation industry and the great strides made so far in positioning Ghana as the preferred aviation hub and leader in airport business in West Africa. This relaunch will offer the travelling public greater connectivity options to destinations across the United States.”
On her part, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan noted that the arrival of the airline will deepen bilateral relations between Ghana and the USA.
“This direct route will increase opportunities for cross-border trade, visits to Ghana’s amazing tourist destinations, and of course, reunions with family and friends. Today’s flight, and the many regular flights to come, provide an avenue for the people of Ghana and the United States to connect and reconnect with each other.”
United Airlines which started operations in Ghana in June 2010 exited in 2012 after operating in the country for two years.
