Captain Solomon Quainoo has become the first pilot to successfully land the biggest passenger aircraft at the Kotoka International Airport in Ghana.
Captain Quainoo taxied the mammoth Emirates A380 aircraft to a stop on Tuesday at the Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 3, as a one-off service to the new terminal.
The airline’s flagship double-decker has become the first-ever scheduled A380 service to Ghana, demonstrating the airport’s readiness to accommodate the A380, the world’s largest commercial passenger jet.
The Emirates A380 flight was operated by Accra-born Ghanaian Capt Solomon Quainoo, and UAE national First Officer, Faisal Alhammadi.
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The A380 flight, operating as EK 787, was joined by a top-level delegation led by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations – Africa; Ahmed Ramadan, Ambassador of Ghana to the UAE; Simon Atieku, Vice Council of Ghana (Dubai & N.E) – Consulate General of Ghana; Akwasi Abayie Adomako – Minister – Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission Ghana, Hesham Abdulla Qassim Al Qassim – CEO – Wasl Group & Vice Chairman – ENBD, Vinay Malhotra – Chief Operating Officer, VFS, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Hamad Ibrahim Abdalla Al Maazmi – Dept. of Naturalisation & Residency Dubai, Majed Sultan Murad Ali Al Joker – Executive Vice President Corporate Affairs, Dubai Airports.
Upon landing at Kotoka International Airport, the aircraft was met with a ceremonial water cannon salute, and the Emirates delegation was welcomed by government officials and airport executives. After a welcoming ceremony, government officials, dignitaries, media and members of the travel industry were given a guided tour of the A380 by Emirates cabin crew.
Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Africa said, “We are honoured to bring our flagship A380 to the impressive new terminal at Kotoka International Airport, as it demonstrates its full capabilities with the handling of the first A380 aircraft. Accra is an important destination in Africa and we remain committed to providing our customers in Ghana with the world-class services we are known for. The Emirates A380 has been at the centre of innovation, and bringing this popular aircraft to Accra is a significant milestone in our operations to Ghana, where we will soon celebrate 15 successful years. We thank the Ghanaian government, the Ministry of Aviation and the government authorities whose support has been instrumental in making today’s one-off service a success.”