GIA Boss Quits!

Azu Mate, who has two roles as the Chief Executive Officer and the Board Chairman of the Ghana International Airline (GIA) has resigned from the company. He is expected to hand over to Captain Joe Boakye, a former employee of the defunct Ghana Airways as the new Chief Executive.

The Minister of Aviation, Gloria Akuffo told the Daily Guide newspaper in an interview in Accra that: the resignation of Mr. Azu was pursuant to his letter that he submitted to President John Agyekum Kufour to resign his position from the company.” The minister confirmed that, “the President has now accepted his resignation”.

GIA began operations on October 29, 2005 with daily flights between Accra and London Gatwick Airport using a Boeing 757.

This was after a US-based consortium had won the bid from the government of Ghana to form a new airline to fly the national flag. The move to form the new airline came about as a result of the now obsolete Ghana Airways, which flew to many destinations in the world and was indebted to its creditors by more than $150million. GIA added a Boeing 767 to its fleet on November 15, 2006.

Mr. Azu was the Chairman of the three-member interim Management Board appointed by the government to oversee the affairs of GIA following the dismissal of the liquidated Ghana Airways board of directors.