Goldstar Air, a privately owned Ghanaian airline would offer seed money of GH?5,000.00 for travel agencies that have registered with the Ghana Tourist Authority for over a year.
The agencies must also be willing to apply for Goldstar Air’s local billing system and pay the same amount or more to sell its tickets.
Mr Eric Bannerman, Chief Executive Officer of Goldstar Air, announced the package in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, after the opening a new head office building of the airline, at Ashalley Botwe, in Accra.
The interview sought to know what the airline, which also runs a travel and tour agency, would do to bring back travel agencies, which were fading gradually due to competition from operating airlines.
Mr Bannerman answered: “Instead of Goldstar Air directly competing with the travel agencies, we intend to establish good working relationships in the form of strategic alliances.
“As a matter of fact, about 90 per cent of the travel agencies in Ghana do not have the international billing system because of the $50, 000 bank guarantee, so this will come as a relief to them and we will also offer Ghana tour operators competitive air tickets to their clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at all times.”
He expressed appreciation to the Air Service Department and Strategic Analysis of Baltimore Washington International Airport, Air Service Development of Providence International Airport both in the United States of America for accepting to give Goldstar Air two years of free landing, parking and office space at the airport.
Mr Bannerman said the objective of Goldstar Air was to focus, promote and protect the interests of Ghanaians.
” In view of this, Goldstar Air will roll out special programmes tailored to suit the needs of the Ghanaian and the aviation and tourism sectors as well.
“Our cabin crew will market our country to the numerous passengers in terms of bringing our rich cultural heritage of mother Ghana when the aircraft is in flight.
Passengers will also feel at home with our Ghanaian dishes, listen to announcements, tit-bits in our local dialects and also enjoy Ghanaian movies and music when on board.”
The company has acquired the Air Carrier License (ACL) and awaiting to receive the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) after which it would be operating scheduled and non-scheduled flights from Accra to 11 destinations across the world namely; London, Dubai, Guangzhou, Lagos, Monrovia, Dakar, Banjul, Conakry, Freetown, Abidjan, Baltimore and Washington.
Other destinations would be the Providence International Airport in Rhode Island in the United State of America, which would serve customers in and around Rhode Islands, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.
Mr Bannerman said Ghanaian dishes would be served on the flight, thus creating more jobs for Ghanaians.
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