AWA denies aircraft emergency, passenger evacuation reports at Kumasi Airport

Africa World Airlines (AWA) has refuted claims made on social media that one of its aircraft experienced a technical issue at Kumasi Airport, prompting a passenger evacuation. The airline categorically stated that such an incident never took place. According to AWA, the aircraft in question was its Embraer E190, which recently commenced demonstration flights on November 5 as part of regulatory procedures prior to its integration into scheduled commercial service.

These demonstration flights were mandated by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to ensure the aircraft was fully operational and safe before entering commercial flights. The statement from AWA emphasized that only the flight crew and GCAA inspectors were present on the aircraft during these exercises, with no passengers involved, hence eliminating the need for any passenger evacuation.

The airline explained that demonstration flights are a routine practice for integrating new aircraft types into service and are carried out under the oversight of the aviation regulator. AWA urged the public and media outlets to disregard the circulating photos and instead rely on its official communication channels for accurate information regarding its operations.

The airline also cautioned that it would take appropriate measures against anyone found to be intentionally spreading misinformation about the airline.