Boeing, Republic of Ghana ink MoU for 3 787-9s
The Republic of Ghana declared at the Dubai Air Show that the country intends to re-launch an airline starting with the B787-9 Dreamliner.
November 19, 2019: The Republic of Ghana declared at the Dubai Air Show that the country intends to re-launch an airline starting with the B787-9 Dreamliner. Boeing and Ghana signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for three airplanes with a current list price of $877.5 million.
"There is a growing demand for air travel to and from Ghana and we believe the advanced 787-9 Dreamliner gives us an efficient and flexible machine to launch a regional network and eventually serve international destinations in the future," said Joseph Kofi Adda, minister of aviation and member of parliament, Republic of Ghana. "The 787 has an excellent reputation for its operational performance, fuel efficiency, and passenger experience and we are confident that we have the right partner for our new carrier."
Honored that the Republic of Ghana has selected the fuel-efficient 787-9 #Dreamliner to help re-launch their airline. We announced a letter of intent for three 787-9 airplanes and Boeing services during a ceremony today at the #DubaiAirshow.
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) November 19, 2019
RELEASE: https://t.co/sYcSve1kbG pic.twitter.com/kEEDpT9D1h
Adda noted that the carrier, to be based in Accra, would establish the capital city as a strategic hub that serves cities across West Africa. Future routes would include destinations in Europe, North America and Asia and the long-term plan are to open the airline to private investment and operation.
"Africa boasts a growing, young workforce and vast natural resources. We see the demand for air travel continues to rise across the continent. Boeing is honoured to work with Ghana in helping re-launch an airline to serve this vast market," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of commercial sales & marketing for The Boeing Company. "We look forward to working with the government on an integrated solution that includes the 787-9 Dreamliner and aviation services to support the new airline and provide a superior experience for its future passengers."
The B787-9 can carry 296 passengers and fly up to 7,530 nautical miles (13,950 kms), while reducing fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent compared to older airplanes.
Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has enabled the opening of more than 250 new point-to-point routes and saved 45 billion pounds of fuel. Every day, there are more than 1,600 commercial flights on a B787 Dreamliner.
In May this year, Ghana has concluded a strategic partnership agreement with Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, to establish a new pan-African carrier in Accra. The government of Ghana and the private sector would hold a majority stake of 51 percent in the proposed airline while Ethiopian would hold the rest.
