International airline Goldstar Air, the Wings of Ghana will reduce the cost of Ghanaian Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage by giving pilgrims the cheapest base fares through the airline’s 24-hour service strategic economic development.
In addition to the airline base fare, another aspect that could help bring the airfare further down is for the government of Ghana to waive or reduce the tax component of the package for the pilgrims.
Apart from the Airline’s reduced Hajj fares, Ho, Kumasi, and Wa airports will experience remarkable and historic first-time direct Hajj flights to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Ghanaian Pilgrims as well as the two traditional Accra and Tamale Hajj airports in Ghana.
This opportunity will help reduce the hidden ground transportation cost, accommodation, and feeding at the Hajj villages in Ghana. Pilgrims will have less time before embarking on their trip to fulfill religious obligations.
Hajj is a sacred pilgrimage and the fifth pillar of Islam. Millions of Muslims perform it each year in Makkah during the holy month of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month in the Islamic calendar.
Hajj is a spiritual duty and a pillar of Islam, meaning that every Muslim must perform it at least once in their lifetime, as long as they are financially, physically, and emotionally able to do so.
Umrah is often referred to as a ‘lesser’ or ‘minor’ pilgrimage. It is an act of worship undertaken by Muslims. It involves pilgrims traveling to the blessed city of Makkah, where the revered Kaaba stands as the epicenter of the Islamic faith and the focal direction of worship and performing a set of blessed worship.
Umrah is a sacred journey that holds immense significance in the hearts of all Muslims. It is a beloved Sunnah that offers a unique opportunity to refresh one’s faith and cleanse one’s soul. Pilgrims seek forgiveness, make sincere du’a, and aim to gain a closer connection to Allah. The Prophet (SAW) encouraged Muslims to perform Umrah at least once in their lifetime. He (SAW) performed it four times.
With economic globalization and the improvement of global air transport systems, airports are increasingly replacing seaports, railways, and highway hubs to become a new engine of economic and industrial development. Airports are no longer places where planes just take off and land. Various industries cluster at and around airports to take advantage of accessibility, speed, and mobility.
More specifically, regional airports could benefit from increases in revenues and enhancing economic development which plays a major role in the tourism experience. This approach from the five Ghana regional airports aims to streamline the Hajj experience, reduce end-to-end travel time, and add value to passenger services, as the airline wants to make all airports in Ghana very busy.
The United States and Ghanaian registered company Goldstar Air is awaiting a Safety Certificate from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority after the inspection of aircraft to start operating scheduled and non-schedule flights to West Africa and Intercontinental.
Goldstar Air is concluding negotiations with our representative in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be appointed as a local General Sales Agent (GSA) of the airline. The airline operations will initially be seasonal flights and later scheduled flights.
A Designation Letter to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) after the issuance of the Safety Certificate from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, will allow authorities to designate Goldstar Air to operate flights to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Goldstar Air representative in Saudi Arabia is waiting for the airline safety certificate to commence the process of the landing rights in their country to enable cheaper Hajj flights to commerce in Ghana.
Every year, approximately 1,500,000 pilgrims travel by air to the Holy Places in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to use all possible efforts and measures to facilitate the proper atmosphere and provide for the Pilgrim’s convenience and safety in conformity.
The Saudi Arabian government is obliged to improve and modernize the infrastructure and facilities of the two Holy Mosques and provide quality services and security for the sake of the Guests of Allah in order to perform their Hajj and Umrah safely.
In accordance with the leadership’s directives to offer the Pilgrims, who are the “Guests of God”, Goldstar Air will provide them with the best services and with all attention and convenience to enable them to fulfill their religious duties with ease and in comfort and return to Ghana safely.
The Ghana Hajj Board fee for Ghanaian pilgrims to Mecca this year was $6,250 or Ghana cedis equivalent of Ghc75,000. The package includes a visa, feeding, accommodation, internal transportation, and a return flight from Ghana to Saudi Arabia.
According to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldstar Air, the Hajj pilgrimage must be made affordable to all Muslims, because it is a religious obligation to satisfy one soul for a spiritual uplift mentality of Muslims, but all can be achieved on a sound economy and exchange rate. The country is facing a high exchange rate of 16 cedis to a dollar and the airline’s international operations will bring in foreign exchange to drop the Hajj fares drastically and strengthen the currency.
Considering the instructions of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Aviation and General Inspector, all governmental and private sectors function together to ensure Pilgrim’s convenience and safety in both in-bound and out-bound phases.
Goldstar Air will be working with the Ghanaian authorities to also ensure Pilgrim’s convenience and safety in both in-bound and out-bound phases, since airports are the starting point to serve the traveling Pilgrims, the airline will always make the necessary arrangements for Ghanaian Pilgrims starting from the embarkation process to the disembarkation and acting side-by-side with the rest of the governmental systems.
The regulations stipulate the procedures and actions required for submission of Hajj operation requests as well as the measures regulating these applications. It also includes flight schedules, slot allocation, and other related approvals. Moreover, it contains the basic operational and safety requirements that need to be fulfilled for obtaining the required operation permission.
These rules and regulations also define the technical measures and operational provisions applied on all flights either operated by an aircraft fully owned by the air carrier or a leased aircraft.
However, other technical measures and additional provisions are incorporated to regulate other air carrier-only operating (Charter) Hajj flights. Safety standards, general rules, and more provisions are provided to define the scope of air operation as well as the commensurable fines to be imposed against the occurrence of any violation.
Based on higher authority directives, these rules and regulations are formulated to organize the air transport operations to serve the pilgrims and further ease and simplify procedures related to their arrival and departure in a safe, secure, and regular fashion.
To ensure the smoothness and efficiency of Hajj air traffic and other services, the Presidency of Civil Aviation (PCA} has undertaken to authorize a certain number of Hajj flights per hour, distributed evenly throughout every 24 hours. The flight schedules, which will be submitted by Goldstar Air, will result in slot allocations being assigned for each flight for both the inbound and outbound phases.
Presidency of Civil Aviation in coordination with other related entities always looking forward to maintaining a safe regulated air traffic flow, smooth passenger processing, and most importantly avoiding over-capacity pressure on King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) facilities, their first point of arrival in the Kingdom.
Consideration is given in compliance with the Chicago Conventions rules and principles together with other international treaties, other issued governmental instructions and relevant bilateral air transport agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other States, as well as the contents of the Kingdom Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) related to air operation instructions.
Goldstar Air will sign a contract arrangement for Aircraft Maintenance within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in case the Aircraft is out of service or the airline-appropriate rated engineer will always be onboard to return the aircraft to service.
Mr. Bannerman emphasized that the airline will make the Hajj pilgrimage more affordable and will help fulfill a fundamental religious obligation for Muslims. With departures from five airports in Ghana for the Pilgrims, ground transportation to get to the airport within the community will reduce the cost and there will also be no hajj village as a hidden cost, as well as feeding in Ghana before departure. The natural increment of cost of Ghanaian Hajj Pilgrims, coursed by the exchange rate is that when the cedi depreciates against the dollar then there is an automatic increase in the price of the cost of Pilgrims because the cost component is charged in dollars and converted into Cedis.
The exchange rate of GHS12 to a dollar for the 2024 Hajj fee for Ghanaian Pilgrims to Mecca determined the value of $6,250 for each Pilgrim and the equivalent was GHS75,000 constantly changing as currencies are traded on the foreign exchange (forex) market.
Currently in this same year with the exchange rate currently GHS16 to a dollar, the same $6,250 Hajj fee will be the equivalent of GHS100,000 and the cedi keeps on depreciating against the dollar. The exchange rate between any two currencies is commonly determined by interest rates, economic activity, gross domestic product, and the unemployment rate in each of the countries.
In the future government must assist the Ghana Hajj board in reviewing the tax component for the pilgrimage, since Goldstar Air will always give the Pilgrims the cheapest base fare to embark on their Holy pilgrimage. Lobbying for government subsidies or incentives to support affordable Hajj travel can help reduce fares.
Bloomberg recently reported that the Ghana cedi traded almost 1% lower against the US dollar in the past month, after declining in value by almost 24% this year. The portal also mentioned that Ghana’s dollar bonds maturing in 2032 rose by 0.2 cents to 52.36 cents on the dollar on September 11, 2024, in London.
Exchange rates can be used to measure the health of a country’s economy. A strong spot rate indicates a healthy economy, while a weak rate indicates economic problems. An exchange rate is the value of a nation’s currency when it is traded for another currency. The relative strength or weakness of a nation’s currency impacts strongly its trade with other nations, its tourism industry, and the prices its consumers pay for imports.
Goldstar Air’s 24-hour worldwide operations will bring foreign currency to the country, an economic tool, to reduce the import burden on the country’s balance of trade, strong reserves to back the Cedi, and reduce the high inflationary rate facing Ghana now thereby forcing the prices of Hajj pilgrimage, local and international airfares to drop drastically in Ghana.
Ghana must shift towards local participation in aviation for sustainable job creation in the sector and ensure equitable distribution of profits within the country to bolster economic growth. Regional airports can rake in more revenue annually by instituting a 24-hour service for growth and advancement around it, and that will reduce the unemployment rate of 14.7 percent in Ghana.
The country must take advantage of its location as the center of the world to position itself as an attractive destination for investment, foster economic growth, create well-paying job opportunities, and contribute to the development of its citizens.
To make airports in the country useful for the regions Goldstar Air will train the youth to be employable to benefit their communities. Opening the airport for passengers and aircraft alone is inconclusive. Ensuring the local people and regions benefit from the 24/7 economy-axillary jobs around the airport is a proactive way to reduce unemployment.
Goldstar Air’s 24-hour service is the obvious choice to make it happen. Goldstar Air, an economic tool, knows what and how to help people in the regions earn more money in aviation, tourism, and other sectors of the economy by enhancing economic performance and creating over one million direct and indirect jobs for Ghanaians.
Airports also provide a positive experience for passengers, which can encourage repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations. In addition to working with airlines and other businesses, airports may partner with tourism boards, local governments, and other organizations to promote their region and attract visitors.
Goldstar Air’s 24-hour service will work with other companies in the aviation industry to attract more companies to the regional airport facilities. This will involve a variety of marketing and promotional activities, such as advertising campaigns, social media outreach, and participation in travel industry events. The airline will set up a desk at the Saudi Arabian airport during the Hajj pilgrimage or the city centers to promote Ghana’s tourist destinations and attract investors to the country.
Economic developers consider airlines vital to generating local and economic growth. Ho Airport and Industrial Zone viability will be an economic generator for the Volta Region and Ghana.
Upper West regional capital Wa will connect major cities directly and also from our hubs which will help businesses expand, and attract new companies, to the area.
Tamale will serve as a pivotal hub for our airline’s maintenance base, cargo village, catering, and training school. Plans are underway to operate international passenger flights to and from the Sahel region.
Goldstar Air will initially operate flights from Kumasi to Rome, Madrid, Hamburg, London, Dusseldorf, and Milan.
Also, flights from Accra shall include destinations such as Washington, Dubai, Lagos, Toronto, Monrovia, Conakry, Abidjan, Guangzhou, Dakar, Banjul, Rhode Island, London, and Freetown and pending cities such as Miami-Florida, Atlanta-Georgia, Chicago-Illinois, Glasgow-Scotland, Houston-Texas and many more.
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