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Antrak Air has suspended its operations for the next three months
following challenges with its wet lease arrangement with Swift Air, a
Spanish airliner, for the use of the latter’s two ATR 72-500 turbo
prop aircraft, B&FT has gathered.
The suspension of Antrak’s flights from Accra to Kumasi, Takoradi and
Sunyani, and Tamale over the period is expected to push up domestic
air fares due to anticipated increase in demand that has to be
contained by the two other major local operators Starbow and Africa
World Airlines (AWA).
A wet lease is an arrangement whereby one airline provides an
aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance to another airline
that pays by hours operated. The lessee provides fueland covers
airport fees, and any other duties and taxes. The flight also uses the
flight number of the lessee.
The airline in a statement issued to travel operators and sighted by
the B&FT said it is notifying operators of “the suspension of our
operations for the next three (3) months, effective 10th June 2015″.
“During this period we will be looking at reorganisation, as it
concerns our business model. We have been compelled to strategically
suspend all operationsfrom the domestic market, with the aim
restructuring to meet the rapidly changing and competitive
environment.”We are in advanced talks to take delivery of our own
aircraft, which will give us more flexibility and less restrictive
scheduling. We will return with the most convenient schedules,
competitive fares and friendly service.”We would like to take this
opportunity to thank you for your continuous support, and we also look
forward to welcoming you on our flights in the near-future,” the
company said.
The latest setback in Antrak’s operations affirms challenges the
company has been going through in the aviation industry since it
launched into the Ghanaian airspace 12 years ago.
In 2013 the Founder and Chairmanof Antrak Group, Alhaji Asuma Banda,
told the B&FT that the company was contemplating pulling out of the
country’s airline business due to challenges in getting passengers –
despite a reported increase in domestic travel figures – a huge
infrastructure deficit, high cost of doing business, and regulatory
failure having made the domestic airline business unprofitable.
Antrak’s operational difficulties contrast with a widely-held view
that the aviation industry is one of the most booming industries in
the economy, attracting several airline operators into the country.
Latest figures obtained from airport authorities show a significant
growth in transit passengers and cargo throughput for the Kotoka
International Airport (KIA) for 2014, pointing to the growing
importance of Ghana as an aviation hub in the sub- region.
Started over a decade ago by Antrak, the four main domestic
destinations are now served by two active domestic operators – AWA and
Starbow.
Domestic passenger throughput has been growing by some 10 percent
year-on- year over the past decade. The Accra-Kumasi route is busiest,
followed closely by Tamale and Takoradi.Transit passengers increased
from 162,000 in 2013 to 178,000 in 2014, representing an increase of
some 9.5 percent. Cargo throughput also increased by 24.5 percent from
44,000 tonnes in 2013 to 54,000 tonnes in 2014.The increase in transit
passenger throughput has been attributed to the growing presence of
regional and international airlines in Ghana and the choice of
consumers to use the KIA for on-ward connections to mainly Europe, the
Gulf, and Asia due to the good safety record of the country – bar the
recent cargo aircraft accidents in recent times.
Growing transit passenger throughput is positive for revenue
generation, as airlines pay navigation charges and various
taxes.”Antrak Air wishes to apologise forall the inconvenience caused
by this suspension.We have made contingency arrangements to ensure
that all clients holding our tickets for future travel before
ourresumption date will be adequately taken care of by our personnel
at the airport,” the company assured in the statement.
Credit: B&FT
