Africa World Airlines Profile

Founded	2010; 12 years ago
Commenced operations	21 September 2012
AOC #	030
Hubs	Kotoka International Airport
Fleet size	8
Destinations	8
Parent company	HNA Group
Headquarters	Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana
Key people	Togbe Afede XIV (Founder) Michael Cheng Luo (CEO)
Employees	381 (2020)
Website	flyafricaworld.com

Africa World Airlines Limited (AWA) is a Ghanaian airline company that was incorporated in 2010 and commenced flights in 2012. It has its head office in Airport City Accra, and its main hub at Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

It is the largest airline in Ghana with over 600,000 passengers transported in 2019, accounting for 68% of domestic passengers and 20% of all air passengers in the country. The airline has been consistently profitable since 2014.

AWA is a joint venture between Ghanaian shareholders SAS Finance Group and SSNIT, with minority shareholdings also by both HNA Group and China-Africa Development Fund via Zhongjia Investments of China.

Owners of Africa World Airlines

AWA was born as the brainchild of noted Ghanaian investment banker and traditional leader Togbe Afede XIV. The airline received its Air Carrier License from Ghana Civil Aviation Authority on 4 March 2011.

After securing funding and partnership for the project, the initial management team led by CEO Zhang Jiuhua and COO Sean Mendis proceeded with the technical certification of the airline.

AWA took delivery of its first Embraer 145 aircraft in August 2012, immediately followed by a second aircraft in September 2012.

 It received its Air Operator Certificate on 21 September 2012 and commenced flight operations that same day with daily services between Accra and Kumasi.

 Flights to Tamale commenced later that year. By 2013, Zhang had been replaced by Michael Cheng Luo as CEO, and Mendis was replaced as COO by Apiigy Afenu.

 A third Embraer 145 was delivered in November 2013 as the airline increased frequencies on the domestic routes

In December 2013, AWA launched its first international route connecting Accra with Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos.

 Services to its fourth domestic destination of Takoradi commenced in May 2015. Plans for expansion of regional routes were temporarily put on hold due to the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, but the airline nonetheless recorded its first annual profits in 2014.

The airline continued to expand its domestic market share during this period, and focussed on training Ghanaian staff in technical roles such as pilots and engineers to reduce dependence on expatriates.

 In May 2015, AWA successfully completed its first IOSA audit, making it only the second airline in Ghana to achieve this international safety standard. In October 2015, Samuel Thompson took over from Apiigy Afenu as COO.

Where is Africa World Airlines located?

African World Airline is located in Ghana with its headquarters in Accra.

Does Ghana have its own airline?

Ghana has been without a national carrier since Ghana International Airlines (GIA) collapsed in 2010.

Check out the list of destinations here

Africa World Airlines contact

Head Office (Accra)
2nd and 3rd Floors, UNA Home Building
Airport By-Pass Road
Airport City
Accra.
PMB CT67,

Accra-Ghana

Digital Address – GL-126-7294
Get Direction

+233 24 243 8888

Source: Glusea