British Airways return to Sierra Leone

It is important to the economy and confidence in Sierra Leone that British Airways reinstates flights to Sierra Leone.

When the Ebola crisis hit Sierra Leone major airlines stopped flights. This led to the loss of thousands of jobs. It is now 10 days since Sierra Leone was declared Ebola free but British Airways have yet to re start flight

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S/Leone in talks over London-Freetown flights
Par KC/as/APACréé le 2015-11-23 16:22:17

The authorities in Sierra Leone are reportedly in talks for a new flight linking their capital Freetown and London as repeated requests for British Airways (BA) to resumes its services remain fruitless.
BA first suspended its flights to Freetown on August 2014, claiming fears of a possible transmission of the Ebola virus.

That followed reports of cases where the disease was reported in foreign countries through air travel.

However, over two weeks after Sierra Leone was declared free of the virus, the airline is reluctant to resume flights to the country.

The new flight in the pipeline, according to the pro-government Torchlight newspaper in Freetown, which on Monday criticized the British government over BA`s continued reluctance, will be provided by Kevin McPhilips Travels.

About seven airlines subsequently suspended flights to Freetown during the peak of the epidemic, but almost all of them, with the exception of BA, have since resumed flying to Freetown.

BA has been a major concern because it was the only one linking directly the two cities.

“Sierra Leoneans felt abandoned by the former colonial masters when even an attempt by Gambia Bird Airlines to resume direct flights was met with stiff rejection from the British government,” the Torchlight said in its Monday editorial.

The paper said if all goes as planned, the new airline is scheduled to commence flight between Lungi International Airport in Freetown and Gatwick in London in December.

But, Tony Rogers, who in February 2015 worked at the British-built Kerry Town Ebola Treatment Center in Freetown, finds the suspension of the flights as an “unjust” attempt at isolating the country.

Rogers therefore set up an online petition on the site 38 Degrees.

“I understand that there has been an enormous economic impact of loss of tourism and commercial trade by the airlines such as British Airways.

“I understand that some airlines have returned but British Airways remains sadly reticent regarding reinstating flights,” the UK nurse told APA in an emailed statement.

KC/as/APA - APANEWS