THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The first ITA Airways flight from Rome Fiumicino arrived at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, on 6 June, marking the launch of weekly non-stop flights from Rome to Accra, Ghana. The new development increases travel options to the West African country.
To celebrate the launch of the new intercontinental route, the airline’s first destination in sub-Saharan Africa, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the arrival gate C8 in Terminal 3 of Accra Airport. The ceremony was attended by Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, Managing Director for Ghana Airports Company Limited, Daniela d’Orlandi, Ambassador of Italy to Ghana and Togo, and Merene Benyah, Ambassador of Ghana to Italy, among other dignitaries.
“We are proud to inaugurate the new direct flight between Accra and Rome,” said Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer of ITA Airways and CEO of Volare. “The launch of this new flight, the only direct connection between Ghana and Italy, represents a significant step forward for the Company: it is the first new flight to the African continent, a market with a great potential, of the current Summer season and will enable ITA Airways not only to gain a strategic entry for point-to-point traffic but also to reach other destinations within both Countries, thereby combining leisure and business travel.”
The Accra–Rome route, the only direct connection between Ghana and Italy, is the first step for the airline in establishing a greater presence in West Africa, a key destination for both leisure and corporate traffic. Following the Accra route, a new flight from Rome Fiumicino to Dakar will be inaugurated in July.
The new route operates with the following schedule:
· Rome to Accra with three weekly frequencies, increasing to four in July: departure from Rome Fiumicino is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. (local time) with arrival in Ghana at 7:15 p.m. (local time).
· Accra to Rome with three weekly frequencies, increasing to four in July: departure from Kotoka International Airport is scheduled at 11:45 p.m. (local time), with arrival at Rome Fiumicino at 7:35 a.m. in the morning after departure from Ghana (local time).
Flights to and from Accra will be operated with the new Airbus A321neo, a new-generation, technologically advanced aircraft.
With this new route, ITA Airways will operate 57 destinations in the current summer season, including 16 domestic, 26 international, and 15 intercontinental. Additionally, during the peak of the summer, the airline will fly to 12 additional seasonal destinations, selected among the most popular Mediterranean tourist spots, including Greece, Spain, Croatia, and the Italian islands, accessible with direct flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate.
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