7/15/1958: Ghana Airways Commences Operations

[In The News]

DALLAS – Today in Aviation, The flag carrier of Ghana, Ghana Airways (GH), commenced operations in 1958. 

The airline had been founded earlier that month to take over the services of West African Airways Corporation (WT). The country’s government invested £400,000 for a 60% shareholding and joined forces with the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC), which held the remaining 40%.

GH operated two Vickers VC-10s between 1965 and 1980. Photo: Christian Volpati (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons.

Early Years

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The deal was signed for seven years, after which BOAC would be brought out. This occurred on February 14, 1961 when the Ghanian government stumped up a reported £160,000 for the British carrier’s shareholding. 

A Boeing 377 Stratocruiser adapted BOAC colours with the Ghanian flag operated the airline’s inaugural flight from Accra to London. Ghana Airways received its first aircraft, a de Havilland Heron, on December 30, 1958. 

The airline entered the jets-age in January 1961 when it ordered two Boeing 707-400s and three Vickers VC-10s. However, the order for the 707s would subsequently be cancelled owing to financial difficulties. The first VC-10 arrived in 1965.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was leased from World Airways (WO) to operate the New York (JFK) route. Photo: Torsten Maiwald (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons.

Close Relationships

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Along with the initial partnership with BOAC, GH had close ties with various other airlines throughout its history. This included pool agreements with Nigeria Airways (WT) and Alitalia (AZ), aircraft leases with KLM (KL) and Swissair (SR) and an alliance with South African Airways (SA). 

Despite steady expansion during the 1990s and 2000s, finical difficulties were growing for the airline. A DC-10 was seized at London Heathrow in June 2002, after which the airline’s then Chairman, Sam Jonah, said that the airline was some US$160 million in debt. 

Rescue negotiations with Nationwide Airlines (CE) of South Africa in 2002 and Ethiopian Airlines (ET) in early 2005 failed, and Ghana Airways was liquidated in June 2005. 

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Featured Image: Ghana Airways McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 (9G-ANE). Photo: Montague Smith (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons.

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