Belgian national carrier, Brussels Airlines, is to further expand its activities in West Africa from winter 2015/2016 with frequency increases to a number of existing destinations and a brand new route to Accra, the capital of Ghana.

The new four times weekly link between Brussels and Kotoka International Airport in Accra will commence from October 26, 2015 and will be the 16th destination in West Africa to be served by the European airline. The daytime flight from Europe and overnight return from Africa will be operated by a two-class Airbus A330. The flight schedule has been developed to allow for smooth connections to many of Brussels Airlines’ European destinations and the United States via its Brussels Airport hub.

Ghana is one of the fastest-growing African countries, both economically and in terms of tourism. It has a growing economy thanks to oil and cocoa, a growing touristic potential and a population that is known for its friendliness and hospitality. Its GDP continues to grow steadily, trade relations are booming and the number of foreign visitors and tourists increases year-on-year.

“We are extremely happy to add Ghana to our African network - the country is currently not directly connected to Brussels Airport,” said Philippe Saeys, vice president sales, Brussels Airlines. “This is good news both for the growing number of passengers that travel to or from Ghana, and for cargo clients. As well as offering comfortable travel options between Accra, Brussels Airport and Europe, this connection will also contribute to the growing trade relations between Belgium and Ghana.”

This service will provide an important new link between Europe and Ghana and provide Star Alliance and its members a stronger presence in this developing market. British Airways, Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa currently provide hub links into Accra, while Vueling Airlines will introduce a new service between Barcelona and Accra later this month.

Alongside the new route, Brussels Airlines will further boost capacity into West Africa with increased flight frequencies to several existing destinations. Lomé (Togo) will be operated four times weekly instead of twice weekly, while Cotonou (Benin) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) will be served three times weekly instead of twice weekly.

“This is an important investment in our African presence and a clear sign of trust in the economic and touristic development of the region,” said Lars Redeligx, chief commercial officer, Brussels Airlines. “We offer our growing number of guests more frequencies in order to offer more flexibility.”

There are also schedule changes in East Africa from winter 2015/2016 for the European flag carrier. For the first time in its history, Brussels Airlines will offer direct flights on both the outbound and the inbound flights between Brussels and the Rwandan capital Kigali. However, in line with the Lufthansa Group Africa strategy, which foresees a close collaboration among the group’s airlines that operate in Africa, Brussels Airlines will cease its own flights to Nairobi (Kenya) from the end of October as Lufthansa resumes its own flights to the Kenyan capital from Frankfurt.