British Airways Celebrates 77 Years In Ghana

On 13 October 1937, a DH86 Diana class aircraft operated by Elders Colonial Airways on behalf of Imperial Airways arrived in Accra for the first time,at the end of a one-week journey, which involved nine stops between the UK,via Khartoum.

77 years later, this trip takes a little over six hours, and Ghanaian passengers are able to so daily. British Airways is celebrating an amazing milestone this October by looking back on 77 years of operation in Ghana.

Moran Birger, British Airways' Commercial Manager for Ghana, says the West African city of Accra has been one of the airline's most important routes, and a particular favourite among passengers to the USA.

“We're privileged to be the oldest and one of the most beloved airlines operating out of Ghana, and we feel particularly rewarded by the fact thatour customers in Ghana are just as committed to us as we are to them,” he stated.

British Airways began operating daily non-stop flights to and from Accra on a Boeing 767 aircraft in 2002,and upgraded to a Boeing 777 aircraft in 2009.

The airline responded to increasing customer demand by re-introducing its First Class cabin on the route in 2011, and currently operates the daily service on a Boeing 747 SuperJumbo aircraft with four cabins – First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller – catering to both premium and value conscious customers.

“One of the reasons our service is so popular is because our business travellers are able to enjoy the convenience of a full working day in Ghanabefore flying out to an early morning arrival in London. From there it is an extremely easy onward connection to other destinations, or one can freshen up in the lounges at our award-winning Heathrow Terminal 5 before starting the working day in London” explains Birger.

The airline has in the last decade invested over £5bn in new aircrafts, enhanced cabins, improved catering and in-flight entertainment, and technology. In 2004,British Airways upgraded its online check-in service which was launched in 2000, to enable passengers print out their own boarding pass ahead of travel from the airline's website ba.com as well as self-service technology available at selected airports.

In June this year, British Airways treated customers travelling from London to Accra to a live football match, courtesy of a high-speed “wi-fi” Internet service the airline is trying around the world. “This was one of our biggest and most exciting treats for passengers ever. Imagine sitting next to Ghanaian football legends like John Paintsil and Joseph Addo, cheering on the national team at 35,000 feet! We hope that once it is fully operational, this technology could be rolled on across the fleet.”

According to Birger, British Airways has always been committed to making life comfortable in the air and on the ground. “Our slogan 'To fly, to serve' has been at the centre of everything we do because for us, it's a fundamental promise that we would continue to show our commitment to Ghana for many more years to come.”

Birger promises even more exciting and interesting updates in 2015, including an upcoming cabin refresh on the 747 aircraft – which would involve a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system that will give passengers the choice of more than 130 movies and 400 TV programmes on larger, hi-resolution screens, capable of touch and swipe gestures;universal power socket on every World Traveller Plus seat; and personal USB socket for passengers who go for World Traveller.

CREW AND GHANA TEAM