Starbow Airlines resumes operations

Starbow Airlines resumed its normal operations last Tuesday with afternoon flights to Kumasi.

“The resumption of operations follows the successful completion of an extensive inspection on our fleet by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The inspection results provide us an assurance of the integrity of our equipment, operations and maintenance procedure,” a statement issued by the company said.

Aircraft

According to the statement, “Starbow aircrafts are regularly maintained and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and as such duly endorsed and approved by the GCAA." 

It said the airline had given the GCAA inspectors all the necessary support and co-operation as they did their required duties, adding that the results of the inspection gave Starbow the confidence that its operating systems provided the required level of safety in operation.

"We would like to reassure our customers and the public that safety and security have been our main concern and we will not compromise on these values.”

The company further extended its  gratitude “to our cherished customers and dedicated trade partners for their patience and solidarity during this phase in our operations.”   

“Starbow once again wishes to render its sincerest apology to all its customers, trade partners and the public for the inconvenience caused as a result of the October 28, 2014 incident which led to the inspection," the statement said.

Return to base

Starbow Flight 124 was on its way to Takoradi on October 28, 2014, when it returned to base after the captain detected a technical problem as a result of a hydraulic system failure.

The aircraft landed smoothly and during the taxing phase to the airport stand, the Ghana National Fire Service personnel observed some smoke from the brakes which had heated as a result of the braking action and the high speed landing.

The crew responded by ensuring that the passengers were quickly evacuated. All passengers were evacuated safely in accordance with standard procedures.

Two passengers experienced some minor injuries during the evacuation process.

The GCAA subsequently grounded the airline's only functional aircraft, which is the same type as Starbow's three other aircrafts, (British Aerospace 146) in order to conduct safety checks to prevent a recurrence. — GNA