The
airline as a result of several factors including a shortage of staff has
decided to cut down the number of flights on its Accra-London-Accra route from
7 days per week to 5 days per week.
The
decision by British Airways has led to a jump in ticket prices by as much as 80
% for summer travellers. Checks by Citi Business News show that Economy class
tickets that would normally go for about GH¢ 14,000 are going for about GH¢
25,000.
Speaking
to Citi Business News on the development, Aviation Analyst Sean Mendes said the
high ticket prices have been compounded by high oil prices for the sector.
“Unfortunately
this summer has seen somewhat of a perfect storm. We are seeing high oil prices
and a shortage of staff which tends to lead to higher ticket prices. Ghana
however is fortunate enough that over 20 airlines are serving the country via
transit to the UK, like Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates among
others. These options are available but they won’t be as convenient as a direct
British Airways flight.”
“And
also seats on the non-stop flights will be at a premium with some of them going
for about £ 3,000 (round trip) at the peak of summer. This is however not unique
to Ghana as it will be experienced worldwide for anyone trying to go to the UK
during the summer,” he added.
He,
meanwhile, gave some tips for persons looking to find a way around the problem.
“For
persons looking to travel between Ghana and the U.K, they should look at
indirect flights or layover flights. If they must fly non-stop, they should
look to fly on weekdays instead of weekends, they should be flexible and look
for some bargains.”
Source:citinewsroom