There is Ethiopian Airlines to look at. No private individual can start an airline in Ghana unless he has a lot of millions to invest. Talking to a pilot, he says the popular saying in the industry is; "If you want to make a ... read full comment
There is Ethiopian Airlines to look at. No private individual can start an airline in Ghana unless he has a lot of millions to invest. Talking to a pilot, he says the popular saying in the industry is; "If you want to make a little money in the airline industry, start with a lot of money."
It is a risky venture and you have to take a lot of things into consideration. Purchase or lease? A brand new Boeing 777, will cost around $300 million. If you buy a used one, be prepared for maintenance costs when it breaks down. The delays associated with breakdowns. Weather conditions. Overhead costs. In Ghana, govt. officials have a quota of tickets. So you can imagine when they abuse it. If properly planned and managed by competent people, I think it can be done.
Mensima Biney 11 years ago
Of course it is possible! Everything is possible. But, is it viable?
Of course it is possible! Everything is possible. But, is it viable?
PPP: Profs,, Presidents, Politicians. 11 years ago
Bravo!!!
Stellar article.
This is what caught attention,
"When Nkrumah established the national airline in 1958 it was a doomed enterprise from the outset. The simple reason is that there were not enough passenger t ... read full comment
Bravo!!!
Stellar article.
This is what caught attention,
"When Nkrumah established the national airline in 1958 it was a doomed enterprise from the outset. The simple reason is that there were not enough passenger traffic on the routes that were cobbled together to sustain the venture. However, because of prestige and political reasons that does not make any economic sense it was kept afloat by the tax payer. Nevertheless, the poor tax payer propped it up until it became economically viable. But then, another nemesis was lurking in the shadows – management incompetence and political meddling."
management incompetence and political meddling.
You also stated that running an airline industry,
"can be done when it is in complete private hands and not a hybrid (as IN PPP: Public, Private, Partnership); is the uncompromising caveat."
" PPP is a way of creating a political pool of bromides that always look for favours from the government. In other words, it is another way of increasing the channels of bribery and corruption, which we can do without."
__________________
You cogently closed the deal with your final paragraph.
Why would a third world country that doesn't even have a comprehensive address system, permanent records keeping database, unique id cards, but is trying to implement e-governance et al succeed or flourish?
Twenty five million people and nobody has the gumption to turn on the light or implement real deaths and births registration centers, and population census for effective governance; yet we wonder why corruption thrives?
Where is our Right To Information Act?
How many fully baked PhDs (Power to heal to the Dead, or is it Pull him Down degree?) does the system churn out annually?
We are right here on the equator with abundance of sunshine or solar, yet, ECG = Electricity Comes and Goes....or Either Candle or Generator.
Tweaaaa!
In the abundance of water, the fool thirst.
Let's put the fulcrum, rudiments, tires on the car first before we start
to think about moving ahead but not without the fundamentals. Else rife irresponsibility resulting in rapacious corruption in PPP airline venture.
We have seen this paradigm before!!!
And it didn't result in an happy ending.
Bravo Massa!
Dan yiwe 11 years ago
It can be done, but do we have the funding to start from scratch? think not. Where are you going to do maintenance, all the equipment needed for preventive maintenance have been sold off. Infact the cost of Aircraft will not ... read full comment
It can be done, but do we have the funding to start from scratch? think not. Where are you going to do maintenance, all the equipment needed for preventive maintenance have been sold off. Infact the cost of Aircraft will not be the problem because of lease arrangements. Can you imagine that after 50 something years of ind, our President travels on BA to attend Commonwealth Leaders conference. I felt so embarassed. Who has the political will and what are our priorities. Anyway K4 will not travel by Ghana airways as he fears to be poisoned.ha ha ha haa, some President we had!!!
Mr. Oushuuuuu 11 years ago
Other African countries have it ,i wont even talk of the advanced nations that have it.Ghana Airways existed long before you were born and its your Npp that killed it and grabbed its landed properties for themselves,get a bra ... read full comment
Other African countries have it ,i wont even talk of the advanced nations that have it.Ghana Airways existed long before you were born and its your Npp that killed it and grabbed its landed properties for themselves,get a brain sir and shut the fukkk up if you have nothing sensible to write.
EAF 11 years ago
This is not an issue of "your NPP that killed it and grabbed its properties" bla bla bla.The fact is that as an emerging economy right after independence, we needed these state institutions in order to employ the masses and b ... read full comment
This is not an issue of "your NPP that killed it and grabbed its properties" bla bla bla.The fact is that as an emerging economy right after independence, we needed these state institutions in order to employ the masses and build the country. The country was not ripe for capitalism at that time, hence the decision of Nkrumah to embrace socialism. No foreign investment would flow to a newly independent African nation. What you need to understand is that that epoch of socialist dependency has passed and Ghana is now classified as a "middle income" economy under full fledged capitalism. Someone mentioned Ethiopian Airlines. How will you compare the economy of Ethiopia to Ghana? The last time I checked Ethiopia is still a third-world economy and as such the government has no option but to support their state institutions against all odds. At time it is always hard to argue with Ghanaians born out of Nkrumah's socialist epoch or try to bring them into the 21st century world economy.
Philip Kobina Baidoo 11 years ago
The fact that Ethiopia has it does not mean that Ghana government can also do it. Ethiopia Airlines is one of the few in the Sub Saharan region that make profit, and of course that is the only one you can mention.
The fact that Ethiopia has it does not mean that Ghana government can also do it. Ethiopia Airlines is one of the few in the Sub Saharan region that make profit, and of course that is the only one you can mention.
John Carslake 11 years ago
The question should be, I suggest,why do we want a national carrier? Is there gap in the airline market which needs to be filled? If so, could an airline based in Ghana fill it successfully? Or is the desire for a Ghana Airwa ... read full comment
The question should be, I suggest,why do we want a national carrier? Is there gap in the airline market which needs to be filled? If so, could an airline based in Ghana fill it successfully? Or is the desire for a Ghana Airways largely driven by imagining the sight of the Ghana flag on the tail of a big aircraft among all the others at Heathrow, JFK or Dubai. It seems to me that Ethiopian Airlines is successful because it did exploit the gap in the market and filled it with East/West flights across the continent instead of trying to compete on the routes to Europe.
Iwan 11 years ago
What about Kenya, South Africa, Namibian get serous these countries are not from outer space.
What about Kenya, South Africa, Namibian get serous these countries are not from outer space.
Minnenkin Piss 11 years ago
Philip, please go back and read the history of Ghana Airways which made profit during the early years. And, if the Government has allowed the Airline to adopt a similar business model like Ethopian Airlines the airline would ... read full comment
Philip, please go back and read the history of Ghana Airways which made profit during the early years. And, if the Government has allowed the Airline to adopt a similar business model like Ethopian Airlines the airline would have been successful up to today...and even more so if the corrupt management and officers of Ghana Airway have been brought to book the airline, again, will have been operating profitably. Other factors which kill national carriers are unsustainable subsidies and protectionism. National Airlines should be left to compete on their own merit with the pack, and let it perish if it has bad service and is not competitive. Take an example of Emirates Airlines which started with a couple of leased aircrafts from PIA, operates in an atmosphere of open sky policy long adopted by the Dubai Civil Aviation (meaning no special protection for Emirates in the Dubai market)but has evolved to be a major airline and one of the best in the world. If Dubai is the center of the world, as it is at times asserted, Accra could also be the center of the world. After all we are virtually on the equator and the Greenwich. What is the difference? gross mismanagement,protectionism and high crimes (corruption) in Ghana and hardwork and dedication in Dubai. Allah Karim!
Philip Kobina Baidoo 11 years ago
Be comprehensive and not selective. The fact that they made profit during the early years does not change my centre piece. It is political meddling, which I stressed that made the corporation go belly up. How do you expect to ... read full comment
Be comprehensive and not selective. The fact that they made profit during the early years does not change my centre piece. It is political meddling, which I stressed that made the corporation go belly up. How do you expect to turn out profit when on a particular route there was only one paying passenger for its entire duration. It did collapse did it not? Which ever angle you pick it from it doesn't make any difference.
SENDERO 11 years ago
Minnekin, for your information, Ghana Airways only made a profit from 1970 to 1973. This is on record.
Actually on the day it was launched in 1958 we were told it was not to make profits but the main aim was to project our ... read full comment
Minnekin, for your information, Ghana Airways only made a profit from 1970 to 1973. This is on record.
Actually on the day it was launched in 1958 we were told it was not to make profits but the main aim was to project our image as an independent country
Not surprisingly instead of concentrating on th elucrative Western Europe routes it spread its wings to include Moscow, Egypt etc and it wa shere that it took a beating
papillon 11 years ago
I don't even blame the past goverments for the demise of our national carrier but rather Ghanaians themselves. We are all corrupt to the bone and there's no end in sight........until Jesus comes.
I don't even blame the past goverments for the demise of our national carrier but rather Ghanaians themselves. We are all corrupt to the bone and there's no end in sight........until Jesus comes.
KWAKU D 11 years ago
Who are these private people? If this enterprise is profitable, what do they need government for? A bank loan would do just fine. How much is government putting in? How much are the private people putting in? THIS PPP SMELLS ... read full comment
Who are these private people? If this enterprise is profitable, what do they need government for? A bank loan would do just fine. How much is government putting in? How much are the private people putting in? THIS PPP SMELLS LIKE OUR MONEY BEING SIPHONED OFF TO PRIVATE PEOPLE. MARK MY WORDS.
Onipa Nua 11 years ago
Philip, too bad all the sense you made will be lost on the powers that be. What we need to move this economy foward is good transportation network. Good roads, trains, and things like that , BUT NEVER airplanes. Airplanes don ... read full comment
Philip, too bad all the sense you made will be lost on the powers that be. What we need to move this economy foward is good transportation network. Good roads, trains, and things like that , BUT NEVER airplanes. Airplanes don't do diddly to move any economy foward.
Tokugawah 11 years ago
The government, any government, is the worst manager of anything. Nkrumah's dream of industrialisation by setting up state enterprises was doomed from the start. It had been tried before by an Egyptian leader in the 19th cent ... read full comment
The government, any government, is the worst manager of anything. Nkrumah's dream of industrialisation by setting up state enterprises was doomed from the start. It had been tried before by an Egyptian leader in the 19th century when Mehmet imported cotton equipment from the Uk to make Egypt an industrial giant. Within 50 years all of the machinery were unserviceable due to lack of maintenance. The skills were not there in spite of training of locals etc. Unfortunately our leaders, even those who attend decent universities overseas lack common sense and do not learn from history. Busia, the worst leader in Ghana's history, with a history degree from Oxford, expelled Ghanaians of Nigerian extraction some of whom were 3rd and 4th generation. Yet it is precisely the expulsion of Jews from Portugal in the 16th and 17th century which has made the once great little nation of explorers into a glorified 3rd world country in Europe. Their best export is Ronaldo. Spain did the same and continues to suffer for their expulsion of the Jews.
Philip, please continue your contributions even if falling on deaf ears as our various leaders of all parties are not with it and we all know they do not even know where to start with sorting Ghana out. They govern by platitudes.
SENDERO 11 years ago
If you think the expulsion of Jews from Portugal was the caus eof that country's decline then perhaps you need to revisit your history over an intensive year and then return to SIL when you are fully educated
If you think the expulsion of Jews from Portugal was the caus eof that country's decline then perhaps you need to revisit your history over an intensive year and then return to SIL when you are fully educated
Fghjk 11 years ago
What is the cost and benefit. Give me one country that manufactures aircraft and owns an airline. Not even the US, UK .. If it is about national pride, then INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE OVERIDES NATIONAL AIRLINE. Ie WASSCE, TECH ... read full comment
What is the cost and benefit. Give me one country that manufactures aircraft and owns an airline. Not even the US, UK .. If it is about national pride, then INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE OVERIDES NATIONAL AIRLINE. Ie WASSCE, TECHNICAL EDUCATION, HOSPITAL NHIS, WATER, ELECTRICITY, ARMED FORCES, parliament, customs etc..
VAQ 11 years ago
HEY PHILIP, WET UP. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON A NICE PIECE. WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE BROTHER. YOU HIT ALL THE NAILS ON THE HEAD. SEND US SOME MORE. THANKS.
HEY PHILIP, WET UP. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON A NICE PIECE. WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE BROTHER. YOU HIT ALL THE NAILS ON THE HEAD. SEND US SOME MORE. THANKS.
There is Ethiopian Airlines to look at. No private individual can start an airline in Ghana unless he has a lot of millions to invest. Talking to a pilot, he says the popular saying in the industry is; "If you want to make a ...
read full comment
Of course it is possible! Everything is possible. But, is it viable?
Bravo!!!
Stellar article.
This is what caught attention,
"When Nkrumah established the national airline in 1958 it was a doomed enterprise from the outset. The simple reason is that there were not enough passenger t ...
read full comment
It can be done, but do we have the funding to start from scratch? think not. Where are you going to do maintenance, all the equipment needed for preventive maintenance have been sold off. Infact the cost of Aircraft will not ...
read full comment
Other African countries have it ,i wont even talk of the advanced nations that have it.Ghana Airways existed long before you were born and its your Npp that killed it and grabbed its landed properties for themselves,get a bra ...
read full comment
This is not an issue of "your NPP that killed it and grabbed its properties" bla bla bla.The fact is that as an emerging economy right after independence, we needed these state institutions in order to employ the masses and b ...
read full comment
The fact that Ethiopia has it does not mean that Ghana government can also do it. Ethiopia Airlines is one of the few in the Sub Saharan region that make profit, and of course that is the only one you can mention.
The question should be, I suggest,why do we want a national carrier? Is there gap in the airline market which needs to be filled? If so, could an airline based in Ghana fill it successfully? Or is the desire for a Ghana Airwa ...
read full comment
What about Kenya, South Africa, Namibian get serous these countries are not from outer space.
Philip, please go back and read the history of Ghana Airways which made profit during the early years. And, if the Government has allowed the Airline to adopt a similar business model like Ethopian Airlines the airline would ...
read full comment
Be comprehensive and not selective. The fact that they made profit during the early years does not change my centre piece. It is political meddling, which I stressed that made the corporation go belly up. How do you expect to ...
read full comment
Minnekin, for your information, Ghana Airways only made a profit from 1970 to 1973. This is on record.
Actually on the day it was launched in 1958 we were told it was not to make profits but the main aim was to project our ...
read full comment
I don't even blame the past goverments for the demise of our national carrier but rather Ghanaians themselves. We are all corrupt to the bone and there's no end in sight........until Jesus comes.
Who are these private people? If this enterprise is profitable, what do they need government for? A bank loan would do just fine. How much is government putting in? How much are the private people putting in? THIS PPP SMELLS ...
read full comment
Philip, too bad all the sense you made will be lost on the powers that be. What we need to move this economy foward is good transportation network. Good roads, trains, and things like that , BUT NEVER airplanes. Airplanes don ...
read full comment
The government, any government, is the worst manager of anything. Nkrumah's dream of industrialisation by setting up state enterprises was doomed from the start. It had been tried before by an Egyptian leader in the 19th cent ...
read full comment
If you think the expulsion of Jews from Portugal was the caus eof that country's decline then perhaps you need to revisit your history over an intensive year and then return to SIL when you are fully educated
What is the cost and benefit. Give me one country that manufactures aircraft and owns an airline. Not even the US, UK .. If it is about national pride, then INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE OVERIDES NATIONAL AIRLINE. Ie WASSCE, TECH ...
read full comment
HEY PHILIP, WET UP. I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON A NICE PIECE. WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE BROTHER. YOU HIT ALL THE NAILS ON THE HEAD. SEND US SOME MORE. THANKS.