(Teleborsa) – He left today from Rome Fiumicino the first direct flight of ITA Airways towards Accra, the Company’s first destination in sub-Saharan Africa. Present at the ribbon cutting ceremony at Terminal E of Leonardo da Vinci airport in Fiumicino Pierfrancesco CuteVP International Sales ITA Airways; Ivan BassatoChief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma; Merene Benyah, Ambassador of Ghana to Italy; Advisor Mario Bartoli, Head of the Office for Central and West African Countries of the Directorate General for Globalization and Global Issues of the MAECI; Ascenzo StrongHead of the Institutional Relations and Communication Department of ENAC e Raffaello BevelsCouncilor for Commerce and Markets, productive activities and Suap of the Municipality of Fiumicino.
“We are proud to inaugurate the new direct flight between Rome and Accra today – he declared Emiliana LimosaniChief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO of Volare – The opening of the flight, the only direct connection between Italy and Ghana, represents an important step forward for the Company: it is the first new flight of the current summer season towards the African continent, a market with great potential, and will allow ITA Airways not only to obtain a strategic entry for point-to-point traffic, but also to reach other destinations within both countries, thus combining tourism and business travel”.
“We are pleased to welcome the ITA Airways flight to Accra, the capital and most populous city of Ghana – he declared Ivan Low, Chief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma – This new destination represents a very important development in the network of direct connections between Rome and the African continent. Africa represents an air market in constant and rapid development, which already in 2023 saw approximately 1.5 million passengers transit through Rome Fiumicino and recorded a very notable growth of +37% at our airport in the first quarter of 2024. We are therefore very confident that the choice of ITA Airways will be very positively received by the market”.
Merene Benyah, Ambassador of Ghana to Italy said: “This new direct flight operated by ITA Airways is a demonstration of the growing commercial interests between Ghana and Italy, and will undoubtedly strengthen trade, investment, tourism and cultural ties between the two countries. Ghana has often been described as the gateway to Africa due to its strategic geographical location, democratic values, favorable business environment, healthy respect for the rule of law and the proverbial hospitality of its people. ITA Airways’ decision to reactivate direct connections between the two countries is proof of this.”
The new connection Rome – Accra, a city full of charm, a crossroads of cultures and a mix of history and natural beauty, is the first piece of a presence that will be increasingly greater in West Africa, an important destination both for leisure traffic flows, but also with value for corporate traffic . The connection to Accra will be followed by the inauguration of the new Rome Fiumicino – Dakar flights in July, and in August in the Middle East Rome Fiumicino – Jeddah.
The new link is operational with the following programming: Rome – Accra 3 weekly frequencies which will become 4 from July with departure from Rome Fiumicino at 3.30pm and arrival in Ghana at 7.15pm (local time): Accra – Rome 3 weekly frequencies which will become 4 from July with departure from the airport Kotoka of Accra at 11.45pm (local time), and arrive in Rome Fiumicino at 7.35am the next morning.
THE flights on Accra will be operated with the new Airbus A321neo, new generation and technologically advanced. The A321neo is the largest aircraft in the Airbus A320neo family and offers world-class range and performance. Efficient and silent, the new A321neo boasts 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per seat. This is the first narrow body aircraft configured with three separate cabins: Business Class (12 seats), Premium Economy (12 seats) and Economy (141 seats of which 12 dedicated to Comfort Economy). The cabin interiors, entirely designed by Walter de Silva, perfectly embody typically Italian elegance and style.
