News

Sports

Business

Entertainment

GhanaWeb TV

Africa

Opinions

Country

Ghana Airways still selling tickets in Holland?

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 Source: Joy Online / GHP

Former national air carrier, Ghana Airways is allegedly still in business selling tickets on board the Royal Dutch Airliner, KLM, using a private company Royal Africa based in Holland.

It is not yet known how many tickets have so far been sold and where the proceeds sold are being lodged, as information on this transaction is still scanty.


However a KLM official has confirmed to the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) in Accra on Tuesday that Ghana Airways is selling tickets, which they are honoured on their flights.


The official however declined that KLM has a relationship with Royal Africa, the private travel agency which is alleged selling tickets.


? We have an agreement on ticketing with Ghana Airways and how they sell them is not our responsibility,? General Manager of KLM Marco Redeker said.


Asked whether it was prudent for KLM to ascertain the legal status of Royal Africa, the official said, ? It is not our business.?


When asked about the existence of the Royal Africa, he replied in the affirmative, saying, ? I did not say I don?t know Royal Africa, it?s a travel agency based in Holland, but we don?t have a relationship with them, but Ghana Airways.?

He confirmed that Royal Africa is presently selling tickets to KLM and they are honouring the tickets. Under an agreement, KLM allots some seats on KLM flights to compensate Ghana Airways for not flying the Holland route. Surprisingly, the status of Ghana Airways could not be established by those doing business with the debt ridden national airliner.


An official from the Office of the President was surprised that Ghana Airways is allegedly doing business of selling tickets in Holland.


In a related development, analysts are questioning why top decision makers on the erstwhile Ghana Airways are still serving on the Ghana International Airlines (GIA) board for the reason that Ghana Airways went down in multi- million-dollar debt.


According to the B& FT it is reliably informed that the composition of the board of Directors is causing jitters in certain quarters. It is being alleged that members of the Task Force who presided over the liquidation of the defunct Ghana Airways dominate the board. High-ranking members of that team are presently in decision-making positions on the new airline and other interest holdings are unhappy with the move, which they said could affect public confidence in the already volatile industry.


Update: The director of Royal Africa Travels Mr. Kwame Antwi Adjei has confirmed to GhanaWeb that his company has been selling Ghana Airways tickets on KLM flights since 3 years. Mr. Antwi Adjei stated that his company has initially been paying for these tickets to Ghana Airways Germany and that after the collapse of Ghana Airways his company has been paying directly to the liquidator Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Source: Joy Online / GHP