Tirtrinu — commercial flight operators, Passion Air, yesterday carried out the first-ever commercial flight from Accra to the Ho Airport at Titrinu, near Ho, since the facility became ready for use five years ago.
The 50-capacity aircraft, Dash 8-300 from the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 2, touched down at exactly 10:34, after flight duration of 34 minutes, with Captain Sidney Ribeiro at the controls.
Meanwhile, some chiefs from the Asogli State and members of the public were at the airport to witness the historic event.
“This is a long dream-come-true,” said an elated Togbe Adzi Lakle Howusu XII, Dufia of Ho-Dome and Awafiaga of Asogli, as he welcomed the crew and passengers soon after the aircraft landed.
Togbe Howusu urged the government to set up a pilot training school and an aircraft’s maintenance and repairs centre at the Ho Airport to make it an aviation hub in West Africa.
He urged the public to patronise the services of Passion Air vigorously to enable it to maintain operations between Ho and Accra and also begin flights from the municipality to other parts of the country sooner than later.
Togbe Howusu gave an assurance that the traditional authorities of Asogli would give their full support to the airline to ensure that it remained in business on the route and also ensure that its services benefitted generations yet unborn.
“The long uncertainty over when our airport will become operational is finally over and this is great cause for joy,” he added.
Earlier, Mr Duncan W. Sambu, Chief Operating Officer of Passion Air, said that since its operations in the country in 2018, the airline had been experiencing overwhelming patronage.
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He said that apart from the 50-capacity aircraft on the route between Accra and Ho which was used for the maiden flight, Passion Air also had 78-seater aeroplane for the same route.
“Clearly, we have closed the gap between Accra and Ho,” said Mr Sambu.
The Chief Operating Officer announced plans by Passion Air to commence direct flights from Ho to Takoradi, Kumasi and Tamale in the near future.
Among the more than 40 passengers who disembarked from the plane was Mr Benjamin Kpodo, MP for Ho Central.
He said that the commencement of flights to and from the Ho Airport would definitely change the economic status of the Volta Regional capital.
