Passion Air finalises modalities to begin domestic flight operations at Sunyani Airport

Sunyani, July 22, GNA – Passion Air, a domestic air transport company has indicated it was finalising modalities to commence flight operations in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital.

The country’s largest domestic airline said its flight team had tested the runway at the Sunyani Airport, and would undertake one flight from the capital to Accra every week in the interim.
Mr Samuel A. Razak Tachie, the Sales and Marketing Manager, Passion Air disclosed this when he and Sharon Dayibor, a Marketing Officer paid a courtesy call on Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister on Thursday.
“Everything is ready and we are set to begin operations in Sunyani. We have set up, and branding our offices at the Sunyani Airport. Sunyani is close to the centre of Ghana and we are optimistic we will do good business in the capital. In fact, our inaugural flight would be done very soon”, he said.
Mr Tachie said Passion Air was also partnering some leading hoteliers to promote eco-tourism in the Bono Region, adding the airline was also developing an in-flight magazine that would feature, promote and highlight interesting tourist attraction sites, local cuisine and restaurants and story-telling sites in the region.
Aviation and economic development, he indicated went hand-in-hand, saying it was imperative that “we promote local businesses by putting the region in a limelight in air travel”.
Mr Tachie emphasised the safety of passengers remained a trademark of Passion Air, and assured to render good customer services, on time departure and smooth and excellent flight operations in the region.
He stressed the depreciation of the Ghana cedi was seriously affecting and burdening the operations of domestic airlines in the country, saying “we are paying more on fuel which is affecting us seriously”, and expressed the hope that people would patronise their operations in Sunyani.
On her part, Mad Owusu-Banahene lauded Passion Air for the bold decision taken for flight operations in the region and assured high patronage was guaranteed.
She said the operations of the airline would not only open up economic opportunities for investments, but also fetch jobs for people, and appealed to the airline to prioritise local content and create jobs for the indigenous people.
The Regional Minister said the region had about four universities and other tertiary institutions, multinational companies as well as finest hotels and restaurants, and implored the airline to build partnerships to enhance patronage.
Mad. Owusu-Banahene assured the Regional Coordinating Council’s readiness to support its advertisement efforts and the Management to supply more flyers for distribution.
 She asked the media to also support the airline to intensify its publicity, saying “successful operation of the airline in our region will benefit all of us”.
Mr Maxwell Yeboah, the Sunyani Regional Airport Manager stated the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) had successfully conducted tests at the Sunyani airport, assuring that “the facility is fit for domestic flight operations”.
The Sunyani airport was originally constructed as an airstrip and later upgraded into an airport in 1969 and currently has a total runway length of about 1,520 metres.
In 2015, the GACL and the GCAA shut down the airport as a precautionary measure to forestall any disaster.
But, in 2019 rehabilitation works for its expansion began and the first phase of that project had been completed to pave way for domestic flight operations.
The second phase of the rehabilitation works is expected to commence next year.