Aviation Minister furious at British Airways over bed bugs incident

The Minister for Aviation, Mad. Cecilia Dapaah furiously told British Airways to improve their services to Ghana or face a sanction. This development is because of reports of bed bugs found on a British Airways flight scheduled to fly from Heathrow Airport (London) to KotokaInternational Airport (Accra).

The Honourable Minister was quite unhappy with the way BA was treating the Ghanaian travelling public.

If it will be recalled His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in April, cautioned British Airways to treat Ghanaian passengers right.

From the presidency, ”The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged British Airways, one of the world’s leading airlines, to upgrade the quality of the services it offers on the Accra-London-Accra route, as the airline prepares to commemorate 80 years of flying into Ghana.

According to President Akufo-Addo, “people complain about the movement (of flights to and from Accra) from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 at Heathrow. Terminal 3 is not a convenient place as Terminal 5. There are also complaints about the quality of the planes (on the route) and the service. In some quarters, there is a feeling that you are taking us a little for granted in the way in which we are receiving your services.

“I think on an occasion like this, for when friends are speaking, I think we should speak frankly. I think I am the proper person to let you know what the pre-occupations of our people are. These are matters that will be easy for you to rectify,” he added.

And eight months down the line, these issues have still not been rectified. Ghanaian passengers have still not been moved from the Terminal three to a more suitable terminal which is quite frustrating.

The Minister was of the view that, since British Airways had monopoly on the direct route from Accra to London, it would have been best if they treated the Ghanaian travelling public well. She said she had not heard of any corporate social responsibility that the airline had done in Ghana since they started flying the route and that it would be prudent for them to start so as to foster the good relationship the country has had with them.

According to the Minister, ”For your own staff to walk away from the flight”, meant they knew the impact the bed bugs were going to have on them.

The crew left shortly before take off from Heathrow to Kotoka (KIA).  The flight delayed for four hours before finally leaving for its destination to Accra (Ghana). She wanted BA to assure her that the incident will not repeat itself and that they should change the ”rickety” planes that ply the Accra – London route. She told them that, with the amount of money they are making from Ghana, they can bring better planes and that if Ghana had a national carrier, there would have been about a hundred planes in the country.

The airline issued a statement on Thursday saying that, ”the presence of bed bugs is an issue faced occasionally by hotels and airlines all over the world.”

“British Airways operates more than 280,000 flights on 280 routes every year, and reports of bed bugs on board are extremely rare. Nevertheless, we are vigilant and continually monitor our aircraft.

But according to the daily mail, this is just the latest  bedbug embarrassment to hit BA.

Last week the Daily Mail reported a man has complained of being bitten by the insects in British Airways business class.

Passenger Mike Gregory, 35, said he was covered in dozens of itchy bites after taking a £4,000 flight from London to Cape Town to spend the New Year with his family.

His ordeal follows a similar case where a Canadian family was left covered in bedbug bites after flying BA in September.

The BA Gold Card holder had left London at 9.30pm the previous day and settled down to sleep but woke in the morning to find spots of blood on his pillow.

‘I had an incredibly itchy waist, torso and hands,’ he said. ‘I realised I had been bitten 120 to 150 times.’ Pictures below

Looking at the pictures above, British Airways has to step up its game in giving quality for service.

Mad. Cecilia Dapaah said it was disheartening on the way they treat us and that Ghanaians pay more (1,300 pounds) to fly Accra to London than our Nigerian counterparts (900 pounds) from Lagos to London. Also that Nigeria had more baggage allowance than Ghana.

Finally, she wanted them to spray their planes and make sure they were fit to fly in before they put it on the route.