The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Abdul-Basit Basintale, has urged Africa World Airlines to provide onboard instructions in local languages in addition to English, to aid passenger comprehension and break language barriers across regional routes.
Basintale made this appeal in a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he expressed concerns over the airline’s failure to translate announcements into Dagbani during a flight from Tamale to Accra.
“In recent times, I also boarded your flight from Tamale to Accra but didn’t witness any translation into the local language, Dagbani, even though the departure point was Tamale — the great land of the Ya-Naa,” he stated.
He added that he could not speak for other destinations like Ho (Ewe), Takoradi (Fante), and Wa (Waala), as he had not experienced flights from those locations.
The YEA boss highlighted a contrasting experience on a flight from Kumasi to Accra, where he commended the airline for translating the pilot’s instructions into Twi.
“Dear @flyafricaworld, I just boarded your flight from Kumasi to Accra and wish to commend you for your services. I noticed that after the pilot had given us some information, it was translated into Twi for the natives to understand. I’m sure this was done because the plane had departed from the powerful land of the Ashanti Kingdom, and there was a need to bridge any language barriers. I must admit the translation was done beautifully,” he wrote.
While applauding this gesture, Basintale encouraged the airline to replicate the initiative across all regional capitals, citing the need to support inclusivity and ease communication for all passengers.
“I am by this calling for the same beautiful translation into the local languages of the areas you operate in, to help bridge language barriers. I sometimes notice that some passengers struggle to understand the instructions being given. This is my humble appeal,” he concluded.
Africa World Airlines is a privately owned Ghanaian airline founded by Togbe Afede XIV. It was established on November 15, 2010, with its inaugural commercial flight taking place on September 21, 2012.
The airline operates key domestic and regional routes within West Africa, including Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, Lagos, and Abuja