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04.05.2012 Business & Finance

Competition Heightens In Airlines Industry

By Charles Benoni Okine - Daily Graphic
Competition Heightens In Airlines Industry
04.05.2012 LISTEN

Detal Airlines' Commercial Manager for West and East Africa, Mr Bobby Bryan, has described the competition in the airline industry in the country as fierce.

As a result, he said airlines that are determined to survive will have to improve their facilities to meet customer expectations and comfort.

Speaking in a brief interaction with the Graphic Business in Accra, he said “Delta acknowledges the competition and we are continuously doing what will make our airline the most preferred choice on the Ghana/US route”.

Mr Bryan said this on the sidelines of a tour of some selected media personnel who were taken on board to experience the new facilities the airline had introduced in its aircraft.

Industry Competition.
His comments come in the wake of growing competition within the aviation industry in the country.

More than 34 airlines presently fly out of the Kotoka International Airport with more in the pipeline to join the competition.

Out of this, only two, Delta Airlines and United Airlines fly direct to the United States of America (USA). Before then, Ghana Airways was flying on that route.

For some time now, many passengers had complained about the quality of facilities in most of the aircrafts used on the African route which include poor leg room, big television screen instead of having the screens at each seat of the plane, noisy engine sound and poor and worn out seats.

There are also issues with the kind of food served on-board.

Delta and competition.
Mr Bryan said competition in the airline industry in the country was a good phenomenon which has caused changes that would be to the benefit of clients of the airline and the management of the airline itself.

The Managing Director of Delta Airlines, Ghana, Mr Pakwo Shum who earlier on briefed the media about the facilities said the move by Delta Airlines formed part of a conscious effort by the company to upgrade all its aircrafts and their facilities to provide the needed comfort and safety of all its passengers.

“Delta is investing more than US$2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground”, he said.

Mr Shum also mentioned the new boarding gate which the company had put up to ensure that passengers enjoyed a much more serene atmosphere with the kind of services “deserving of Delta passengers at the airport”.

The media had a feel of the Business Class Elite cabin where seats can be folded flat to 180 degrees with full size pillows and quilted duvet; a direct access to the aisle from the 1-2-1 seat configuration to prevent passengers from walking over others; an entertainment screen at the back of all seats which can play games with different passengers on other seats among other things.

GCAA’s Tasks airlines
The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, who was also on board the aircraft to experience the facilities asked airlines that are licensed to fly from the Kotoka International Airport to use aircrafts that can fully guarantee the maximum comfort and safety of passengers.

He said passengers flying from Ghana were now sophisticated and were making demands that were comparable to what they experienced at other airports, hence the need for the airlines to provide the needed facilities and meals to meet passenger’s demands.

Air Commodore Mamphey said the competition in the airline industry had picked up fast in the country making more airlines to fly the Ghana route and noted that “with this phenomenon, there is the need for the airlines to upgrade their facilities on flight to the comfort and safety of the passengers”.

Graphic.com.gh

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