Local airline operators, PassionAir, has suspended flights to the Volta Regional capital, Ho.
The decision may rendered the new multi million dollars airport redundant, making it a white elephant.
According to the airline, although the new Ho route did not enjoy much patronage, the decision to suspend flights to that part of the country is mainly due to the increase in fuel prices.
The airline, which started scheduled domestic operations in Ghana in August 2018, from its Accra hub to Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and later Wa, began flying to Ho only four months ago.
The suspension, which takes effect from today Friday, March 25, 2022, according to the company was due to a number of operational challenges including, the ‘extremely low patronage’ of its service in the Volta region.
A letter signed by the Chief Operating Officer of PassionAir, Duncan Sambu, explained that the increasing cost of fuel, the depreciation of the cedi against the US Dollar, and a requirement from the Ghana Airport Company Ltd for the airline to build an operational office in Ho, as other reasons for the suspension of their operations.
They however, noted that, “these challenges are being evaluated by the airline to ascertain the way forward.”
The letter announcing the suspension of flight services to Ho directed media houses in the Region airing the radio commercials of the airline to suspend them with immediate effect.
PassionAir was the first to begin commercial operations to the Ho Airport in December, 2021.
With an initial fare of GHC209, the airline plied the Ho route twice weekly – Fridays and Sundays.
The fare was later reduced to Ghc150, but that seem not to have still attracted the expected passenger numbers, as according to Volta Online, some of their flights had less than ten passengers at a point in time.
By Vincent Kubi