LONDON – Sentra Airways, a new UK-based start-up, has announced it is to fly to Ghana at the end of the year using an Airbus A330-200.

New route

The new UK-based airline, which has yet to commence operations, has announced that it is planning to fly to Accra, Ghana, making it its launch destination for their launch in the last quarter of 2022.

The strategy of Sentra Airways is to start flights from their hub in Manchester to many West African destinations, including Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast. The airline is also planning to eventually start flying to the United States.

The airline has been founded in 2019 as Majestic Mallard Airways with a startup capital of only £600,000. The airline changed its name to its current Sentra Airways in January of 2020.

Sentra Airways has already secured its first plane, an Airbus A330-200, from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), a US-based lessor.

At the same time, Sentra Airways is working on securing its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), a license permitting Sentra Airways to perform scheduled operations for revenue, from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Lauren Kervick, Assistant Vice President of Marketing for ALC, has hinted at possible future deals with Sentra, saying:

“Sentra has an exciting growth and business plan operating from the UK to West Africa, and we look forward to growing our relationship over the coming years.”

The airline has also already completed the first phase of its recruitment program of personnel.

Many of the crew members have been sourced from Ghana, and also held a pre-departure and onboarding orientation program for the newly recruited crew members who are going to be stationed in Accra, Ghana.

The crew members who are based in Ghana are expected to join their UK-based co-workers later this month for a 3-month intensive training and to prepare them for their general duties as cabin crew members for Sentra Airways.

Sentra has explained their choice for choosing Accra as their launch destination. They believe that it will help them position themselves as the airline of choice, and it wants to establish regional partnerships.

People who are knowledgeable about the aviation industry have said that the entry of Sentra Airways into the Ghanaian market will be crucial for consolidating Kotoka International Airways (KIA) as a major entry point into West Africa.

Exciting

The new airline is one of the few airlines that has dared to open up a new airline in a very mature market.

The hope for many people is that the airline will make very good connections between Africa and Europe, connecting many people from Africa from Europe, giving many a chance to explore the world.

Not only are they going to set foot in the new market, but they will also, with the connections that they are going to be making, be helping and developing the African aviation market, as there are many regional carriers in the region with a lot of potentials, waiting to be exploited.

Opening this route will allow for the exploitation of these airlines to happen, which will eventually bolster the region’s tourism economy, making them a big stronghold for future plans.