Launched in January 2010 in Lomé, Togo, ASKY is one of Africa’s fastest-growing airlines and boasts the largest network within west and central Africa, connecting 22 of the region’s cities with a modern fleet of aircraft.
Before the airline was launched, those wishing to fly from Togo to neighbouring African countries often had to transfer in Paris, London or Amsterdam, turning relatively short distances into extremely convoluted and time-consuming journeys. ASKY set out to eliminate this practice, linking African neighbours directly.
ASKY was founded by a combination of regional institutions – the ECOWAS Bank of Investment and Development (EBID), the West Africa Development Bank (BOAD) and the ECOBANK group. The airline is a fully private, profit-driven venture managed by experienced professionals coming from 27 African countries. Its strategic partner is Ethiopian Airlines, the most successful airline in Africa, which also has 20 percent ownership of ASKY’s capital. Furthermore, Ethiopian Airlines is ASKY’s technical partner, ensuring top-level maintenance of its aircrafts.
ASKY’s vision is to build a pre-eminent international airline connecting the region and a variety of African countries to the world, with innovative technology, efficiency, reliability and courteous customer service that encompasses traditional African hospitality.
Big achievements
ASKY is well on the way to achieving this vision by promoting the development of the movement of goods, persons and trade between the various regions of Africa and beyond, by providing regular, safe and reliable flights at very competitive fares. ASKY also facilitates trade flow in a dynamic manner by creating new links between states in the region, and with states that are development partners, by creating and developing proximity air services.
Aside from trade, the carrier is contributing to the development of intra-Africa tourism and tourism between Africa and the rest of the world. Every week ASKY operates over 100 flights and carries more than 10,000 passengers; in fact, the airline celebrated its millionth passenger in March 2013.
ASKY is developing a strong network with Lomé as the hub. Ambitious plans are in progress to enable coverage of the whole continent, with existing and ongoing negotiations on interline and code-share agreements with other African carriers. Together with its strategic partner, new services will soon be launched to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Beirut. It is for these reasons that ASKY Airlines has won Business Destinations’ Best Economy Airline, Africa, 2013 award.
Customer benefits
Business customers flying with ASKY have access to lounges across the carrier’s network. They allow moments of relaxation away from the main airport and the chance to catch up on work between flights. Once on board there are spacious seats, a plethora of reading materials and champagne or fruit juice to welcome customers to their seats.
All passengers are served extremely high quality meals and attentive onboard staff are available to assist throughout the flight. ASKY prides itself on punctuality, always sticking to schedule, and even claims to leave early at times. The airline has also created the ASKY Club for regular travellers. Four levels of membership are available, depending on your accumulated air miles, and new joiners receive a bonus 1,000 miles with their first trip. Benefits of club membership include airport assistance, increased baggage allowances, upgrades, personalised luggage tags and access to the ASKY lounges.
Community and environment
ASKY is a community airline that is committed to the continent’s integration process and plays a key role in it. Since its creation, ASKY has continuously filled the gap that existed in Africa’s air transport sector by linking states and cultures, reinforcing the flow of business and social integration. Key examples include ASKY’s success in bringing together Africa’s English-speaking and French-speaking states, creating historical and political links between African markets.
Although ASKY has been operating for only three years, the company has paid great attention to the environment. ASKY has demonstrated commitment to the reduction of its carbon footprint, as well as investing in projects geared towards clean technology and the use of cleaner fuels, especially with its partners and suppliers. The carrier now boasts an impressive fleet of new NextGen aircrafts, which produce reduced emissions.
Furthermore, in many of its sponsorship programmes and corporate social responsibility activities, together with its partners and suppliers, ASKY helps to raise awareness among the public about environmental hazards. As the airline continues to grow, its commitment to environmental sustainability is ceaseless and ASKY will continue to be involved in reducing its negative carbon impact, while also highlighting carbon credit schemes.
In safe hands
Ensuring safe operations is a top priority for ASKY’s management. That’s why for this year one of the main challenges is the acquisition of IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) certification. Since January 2013, all operational departments are in training and new processes are being implemented. This is proof of ASKY’s commitment to a better quality and professionalism of service.
ASKY supports the best aviation practices, holding safety as a core value. The company aims to achieve the highest level of safety performance possible, meeting both national and international standards. The ASKY Safety Management System includes all aspects of flight, maintenance, ground services, industrial and environmental safety, including emergency response planning. All levels of management and all employees are accountable for delivery of this, starting with Awel Busera, the Chief Executive Officer, who is responsible for the overall safety of ASKY.
Employees support the management of safety, enforcing it as the primary responsibility of all. Each member of staff has specific accountabilities for delivery of ASKY’s safety performance and no action will ever be taken against any employee who discloses a safety concern through the hazard reporting system. There will always be sufficiently skilled staff and the right resources available to implement safety strategies and processes. bd
