Last night, United Airlines launched the first flight of its new service to Accra, Ghana from Washington DC, United States. The carrier is now operating a thrice-weekly service to the West African city from Dulles International.
On its way
Flight UA996 is scheduled to leave Dulles International Airport at 18:15 every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday each week to land at Kotoka International Airport at 08:40 the next morning. On the return, UA997 is scheduled to leave Accra at 23:45 on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday to arrive in the DC area at 06:30 the next day.
Dulles International is undoubtedly proud of this launch. On Twitter, it shared a video of a vibrant ceremony to mark the commencement.
Starting TONIGHT! #Nonstop service to Accra, Ghana 3x weekly on @united! pic.twitter.com/egvFpMyLd5
— Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) May 14, 2021
Valuable services
There is a sizeable Ghanian diaspora, with approximately four million people with connections to the country across the globe. Notably, the United States has over 116,000 Ghanaians living in the country. This figure gives the US the third-highest Ghanian population in the world. So, there will many people longing to fly to and from Ghana following the challenges of the pandemic.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority president and CEO Jack Potter shared how valuable this service to Ghana’s capital is. This operation is one of many direct flights to global cities from Dulles.
“The National Capital Region is home to one of the largest populations of native Ghanaians in the United States, and we are honored to welcome United Airlines’ new route from Dulles International to Accra, as we work together to forge an important new link between our two countries,” Potter shared in an official statement.
“Today, Accra joins nearly 40 other nonstop international destinations currently served from Dulles International, offering our customers more global connectivity as demand for air travel continues to rise.”
Great potential
United’s Washington Dulles hub MD, Eddie Gordon, also emphasized how significant this new route is. Altogether, the service is a reminder of the pent-up demand that the International community has to hit the skies to visit their loved ones. Therefore, United is glad to see a rebound across the industry.
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The Chicago-based carrier followed Delta Air Lines with its earlier arrival at Accra, from New York, the day before. Several other international powerhouses also serve the city. For instance, Qatar Airways, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Cote d Ivoire, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, KLM, Kenya Airways, TAP Air Portugal, and EgyptAir, all fly to the airport.
Altogether, Accra is a strong hub in Africa. Along with Africa World Airlines’ presence at the airport, up to over three million passengers from across the globe pass through. Therefore, it’s no surprise that United is keen to expand.
What are your thoughts about United Airlines’ new Accra service? Will you be flying to Ghana soon? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
