Aviation debate: pan-African carrier a disaster.Allow me to respond to the letter from your reader Jacques Sassine (African Business December 2004 issue) who calls for the formation of a pan-African carrier in the wake of the recent failure of Ghana Airways Ghana Airways was an airline based at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana. All operations ceased in 2004 and the company was placed into liquidation. Ghana now has a new national airline, Ghana International Airlines, a partnership between the Government and US-based . In fact, I would argue, that is exactly what we do not need. If we learnt anything from the experience of the Air Afrique Air Afrique was based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and was established as a transnational African airline. History On March 28 1961, co-founded by Air France and the following eleven Western African countries:
Let us be frank about Air Afrique--for many years it struggled on, losing money hand-over-fist as it tried to meet its commercial obligations, but obstructed by the narrow self interest of its various owners--the governments of several West African West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. countries. Because each and every government believed (rightly) that they owned a share of the Air Afrique airline, heads of state invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil felt
(wrongly) they could justifiably purloin pur·loin v. pur·loined, pur·loin·ing, pur·loins v.tr. To steal, often in a violation of trust. See Synonyms at steal. v.intr. To commit theft. aircraft to take them where they pleased at a moments notice. Flight schedules were ignored, and all commercial considerations were brushed aside so that these African leaders, their families and their retinues could enjoy the luxurious serenity of their 'private jets'. Not for them travelling on scheduled flights! For years the French government, in its wisdom, allowed these practices to continue by subsidising Air Afrique's monstrous losses. When, finally, the plug was pulled, Air Afrique collapsed like a house of cards house of cards n. pl. houses of cards A flimsy structure, arrangement, or situation that is in danger of collapsing or failing: "The collapse of the rupiah . . . . No, please spare us a repetition of this disastrous example of the multi-national ownership of an air carrier. Rather, let us foster the creation of a number of smaller, more flexible and commercially viable airlines--and encourage greater co-operation between them so that Africa has a chance to compete with the big European carriers that currently dominate our skies. Harry Skiller Durban, South Africa |
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