Editorial: When gov`t officials boycott the national airline

A Ghanaian Economist residing in Bolton, in the United Kingdom (UK), Madam Agnes Nsiah, has told a forum in London that she was surprised to hear that Ghanaians, especially government officials, use other airlines, rather than the Ghana International Airline (GIA), on routes that the airline operates, describing the action as unpatriotic. She explained that “if the airline was not good in terms of punctuality and services, then one would understand, but not when the services are super.”

Madam Nsiah indicated that very few people, and under very rare circumstances, will use the airline of another country, rather than their home country’s airline. She said it stands to simple reason that citizens would have to contribute in any form possible, to help build their nations, and this is one form that Ghanaians can use help to build the country. She observed that Europeans and other nationals patronise their national airlines and other services everywhere in the world. She therefore urged Ghanaians to help the GIA to become an airline that will befit Ghana’s status, by patronising it.

The Chronicle perfectly agrees with Madam Nsiah, especially regarding the allegation that government officials had refused to fly the national airline whenever they travel outside the country. The GIA was set up by the Kufuor administration, but we never saw the former President ever travelling with the airline on any of his numerous foreign trips, though we stand to be corrected. President Kufuor travelled in British Airways (BA) and other international airlines on most of his foreign travels.

President Mills has so far made only one trip to Europe, but like his predecessor, he also ignored the GIA, and travelled with BA. As noted by Madam Nsiah, no President from any of the European countries would patronise another country’s airline, because they want whatever money expended on the trip to stay in their local economy.

Clearly, there is no way the GIA would become a true international airline and rake in revenue for the country, if our leaders continue to treat it with contempt, as they are doing now.

Since 70% shares of the GIA is owned by the government of Ghana, our leaders have the responsibility to ensure that the airline provides quality service to its clients. It would be wrong for the government to sit idle, whilst the services of the airline deteriorates, and then use that as an excuse to fly foreign airlines, and pay huge sums of money to enrich foreign economies, whilst our local economy struggles to stand on its feet.

Whilst condemning government officials for boycotting the airline, we also think its management must work in close collaboration with the government to improve upon its services.

There have been numerous reports that passengers of the airline have, at one time or the other, become stranded at either the Kotoka International Airport in Ghana, or Gatwick in London.

In most of the cases, these stranded passengers lose their jobs when they are finally airlifted to their various destinations. The Chronicle does not think any passenger who would go through such an embarrassment would like to fly with the same airline again.

We are, however, happy to hear that the management has managed to put a stop to such embarrassments. It is our hope that Ghanaians would always see the airline as the pride of the nation, and try to patronise it.