Africa World Airlines (AWA)invested in by a Chinese company has already captured half of the aviation market in Ghana and has become one of the most popular regional airlines in West Africa.
Despite its high levels of fragmentation, Africa’s Aviation market has significant opportunities for growth, and that’s attracted some Chinese investors. Ghana’s Africa World Airlines, registered in 2010, is one such opportunity. It is a joint venture by Chinese and Ghanaian investors, and the carrier has grown to serve a larger and larger section of the potential market in Ghana.
AWA started operations in 2012 using Embraer 145 Jets. The airline is co-financed by China’s HNA Group, the China-Africa Development Fund, Ghana’s Social Security and National Insurance Trust, and Ghana’s SAS Finance Group. Starting from 1 flight at the very beginning, their travel routes have increased over 3 years of expansion to 22 domestic and international flights per day. Over 98 percent of its 216 staff are Ghanaian.
In addition to its strong financial support, AWA also inherited the strict safety management and service standards of Hainan Airlines. Their strong safety management and good service records helped the airline win the award for Domestic Airline for 2014 from the Ghana Tourism Authority.
A growing number of African countries including Ghana, Kenya and South Africa hope to expand aviation cooperation with China in projects such as co-funded airlines, airport construction or aircraft manufacturing.
