Emirates has celebrated a milestone in its operation to Ghana, marking 15 years of service to Accra.

The first Emirates flight flew into Kotoka International Airport in January 2004, and the airline has since carried close to 1.6 million passengers between Accra and Dubai and its network.

The airline started operations in Ghana with three flights a week, increasing to six flights a week in March 2005. Currently, the airline operates daily Abidjan – Accra - Dubai flights to over 150 destinations via its Dubai hub. This is set to increase to 11 weekly flights from June 2, following the announcement of four additional weekly flights to Accra.

For over a decade and a half, Emirates has stayed committed to not only connecting Ghanaians to the world, but also developing Ghana’s aviation industry. October 2018 saw Emirates operate the country’s first A380 to Accra, partnering with the airport to test its operations and infrastructure to accommodate an A380 service.

“Africa is one of Emirates’ key growth regions in its global network and Ghana is an important market for Emirates. In 2018, Emirates carried over 180,000 passengers between Accra and Dubai, and we are committed to facilitating trade, tourism and cargo exports in the years to come”, says Cathy Wesley, Emirates Country Manager.

Top Emirates destinations that Ghanaians travel to include UAE, China, USA, Singapore, India and London. On all Emirates’ flights, customers can look forward to hours of entertainment on the award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, which offers over 4,000 channels of on-demand audio and visual entertainment, from the latest movies, music, audio books and games, as well as family friendly products and services for children, including complimentary toys, kids’ meals and movies.

Emirates SkyCargo also remains a key enabler in facilitating global trade in Ghana by carrying a total of over 73,000 tonnes of cargo to and from Ghana. Emirates SkyCargo has also facilitated the export of over 41,000 tonnes of cargo majority of them being fruits and precious metals.

On the Accra – Dubai route, Emirates operates the B777-300ER aircraft which is one of the most technologically advanced and efficient aircraft in the world. The aircraft’s advanced wing design, efficient engine and light structure make more efficient use of fuel. This means significantly less emissions than similar aircraft, making it one of the most 'green' long-range commercial aircraft types.

Commenting on the milestone, Sylvia Baah, Emirates Airport service manager who has worked with Emirates since 2004, cited the one-off A380 service to Accra in 2018 as one of the memorable moments in her career at Emirates. She added: “The past 15 years have been fulfilling, rewarding and exciting. I feel very proud to be a part of this amazing journey with Emirates, and to know that we are part of a larger team that bring the vision of a ‘better’ travel experience, to life, for Ghanaians.”

Travellers onboard all Emirates flights get to experience Emirates’ multinational cabin crew, of which over 120 are Ghanaians, while enjoying a chef prepared regionally inspired meal such as Waakye or Jollof using the freshest ingredients, accompanied by a wide range of complimentary wines and beverages. -TradeArabia News Service