Lufthansa is being mischievous -Minister

Aviation Minister, Honorable Gloria Akuffo has described as unfortunate and mischievous a statement from Lufthansa Airlines saying they have cancelled all flights to Ghana.

The German Airline issued a statement yesterday saying that they have no option but to take Ghana off their destination map since government has indicated that it is giving them only one option of flying twice a week from Accra to Frankfurt and vice versa.

This follows the expiration of government’s certification for the airlines’ daily flights to Accra.

The directive left several passengers stranded at the Airport in Frankfurt unable to connect a flight to Accra on Saturday.

Speaking to CITI FM, Aviation Minister, Gloria Akuffo says negotiations are still on-going and government has no intention of turning its back on Lufthansa. She emphasized that the airline’s behavior is mischievous and unfortunate, insisting that under no circumstances did government send a directive to the airline canceling their relationship with them.

‘INSIDE STORY’
‘Lufthansa had an outstanding relationship with the then Ghana Airways which allowed them five additional flights from Ghana to Germany, outside their already established two flights from the country.

The arrangement was to give Lufthansa more visibility in the country as well as to afford Ghana Airways some royalties.

When the royalties were not forthcoming, Ghana Airways took the issue up after which Lufthansa agreed to pay an amount of $1.2 million dollars to settle the issue.

Lufthansa, apparently, did not take kindly to a new arrangement by the Official Liquidator of Ghana Airways, allowing Ghana International Airlines to fly to Frankfurt and giving Lufthansa only two flights to Ghana.

They therefore wrote a letter to the Official Liquidator asking them to cancel GIA’s flights to Germany and allow them that privilege’.

Honorable Gloria Akuffo said the airline cannot use this mechanism to serve as a threat to the Aviation Ministry to cow in to their demands.
Meanwhile, Travel and Tour Agencies in the country say they have still not received any official notification from Lufthansa concerning their decision to cancel their flights to Ghana.

They maintain that they are currently having problems with their clients since some of them have booked on the airline.

Mr. Johnny Nezer Moreau of Graceland Travel and Tours and former President of the Ghana Travel and Tour Agencies said the move by Lufthansa will surely tarnish the image of the airline in the country.

Lufthansa ends route to Ghana after disagreement with government

Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it will stop flying to Ghana, following a disagreement with the Ghanaian authorities.

Lufthansa said the Ghanaian government had refused to renew the licence authorising it to fly every day to Accra international airport.

'Instead, Lufthansa was only authorised to fly two flights per week between Accra and Frankfurt. Unfortunately, the company cannot accept this proposal, as it is not financially viable,' the airline said.

Lufthansa's last flight serving Accra will run on Saturday evening. The company said it 'sincerely regrets being forced to withdraw Ghana from the map of countries which we serve'.

Ghanaian Aviation Minister Gloria Akuffo said Lufthansa could still fly to the country. She told Agence France-Presse that her government had not forced the airline to halt its flights, and that Lufthansa had sent her ministry draft agreements to be signed.