I was trying to sort out Christmas flights to Ghana today, and as I had flown with them a number of times in the past I contacted Virgin as their prices are normally competitive, especially in line with the high level of Customer Service, imagine my surprise when I was told "Virgin will stop flying to Ghana on the 23rd September"....this is a real blow not only to me but to many others. I have taken the Heathrow to Accra flight on a number of occasions and each time the flight has been full. This is a real shame!
The report below which I have found from Virgin, blames high fuel prices in Ghana and lack of availability of slots at Heathrow on their decision.
Let's hope this wont be the end of Virgin flights to Ghana and that they will start them again soon!
The report below which I have found from Virgin, blames high fuel prices in Ghana and lack of availability of slots at Heathrow on their decision.
Let's hope this wont be the end of Virgin flights to Ghana and that they will start them again soon!
For anyone who has been left wondering who to fly with following this decision, can I please recommend KLM. Although you have to do a transit stop in Amsterdam, KLM are a quality airline, you can pre-book seats and the food is fantastic**
**these are my personal opinions based on my personal experiences
Flights between Heathrow and Accra are being suspended by Virgin Atlantic partly due to high fuel costs in Ghana.
The airline’s last flight on the route will depart Accra for London on September 23.
Exceptionally high fuel costs in Ghana, a challenging wider economic environment and an inability to operate morning arrivals from Accra due to scarcity of slots at Heathrow, have all contributed to the decision to withdraw the service.
Flights to Ghana were launched three years ago to compete with British Airways on the Accra route.
Virgin Atlantic airline planning director Edmond Rose said: "We have had to take the difficult decision to suspend our services between London and Accra.
"We were excited to enter the market and have been pleased to be part of the growth and development taking place in the country.
"However, we have been severely impacted by the price of fuel in Ghana which has resulted in us being forced to tanker fuel into Accra from the UK.
"Scarcity of slots at London Heathrow has meant that we have been unable to offer morning arrivals into London, which makes us a less attractive option for the business traveller. This has also limited our ability to offer connections onto our wider transatlantic network.
"These are still challenging times for the airline industry and we have to deploy our aircraft to routes with the right level of demand to be financially viable.
The airline’s last flight on the route will depart Accra for London on September 23.
Exceptionally high fuel costs in Ghana, a challenging wider economic environment and an inability to operate morning arrivals from Accra due to scarcity of slots at Heathrow, have all contributed to the decision to withdraw the service.
Flights to Ghana were launched three years ago to compete with British Airways on the Accra route.
Virgin Atlantic airline planning director Edmond Rose said: "We have had to take the difficult decision to suspend our services between London and Accra.
"We were excited to enter the market and have been pleased to be part of the growth and development taking place in the country.
"However, we have been severely impacted by the price of fuel in Ghana which has resulted in us being forced to tanker fuel into Accra from the UK.
"Scarcity of slots at London Heathrow has meant that we have been unable to offer morning arrivals into London, which makes us a less attractive option for the business traveller. This has also limited our ability to offer connections onto our wider transatlantic network.
"These are still challenging times for the airline industry and we have to deploy our aircraft to routes with the right level of demand to be financially viable.
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