WAU - 5 Aug 2014

South Sudan politicians support launch of new airline to Wau

Obac William Olawo, a South Sudanese businessman from Upper Nile state has launched a new airline called ‘Golden Wings Aviation’. The inaugural flight was joined by top politicians of the SPLM-Juba faction and flew between Juba and Wau.

Wau has been proposed by members of the SPLM-Juba faction including the governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State as a new national capital.

The airplane will accommodate 75 passengers on several flights per week at a cost of 600 pounds. The company says it is going to employee 166 South Sudanese. The new airline is operated by SKA South Africa.

Hon. Manasseh Magok Rundial, Speaker of the National Parliament, spoke in Wau on Sunday upon arrival of the first flight of Golden Wings Aviation flight. He was accompanied by Speaker of the Council of States Bol Chan, who also joined the flight.

Magok called on the government to support the business initiative as a way of bringing development to Western Bahr al Ghazal state. He said South Sudan is blessed with resources and urged people to stop fighting each other and embark on development of the country.

For his part, Governor Rizig Zachariah Hassan promised to provide the company a plot of land to allow it to function without any difficulties.

Obac, the managing director of the company, said that he has acquired three aircraft for the company: one is a passenger plane, and two are for cargo. He said he has plans for adding another plane as a back-up.

“Golden Wing Aviation is brand new and we are going to use it on domestic flights and later on we will extend it to the international routes. We will start with Wau and we will do Malakal later and Paloich,” he said, referring to the oil-producing area of Upper Nile.

Sudan Tribune, meanwhile, reports that the state governor also described the launch of the new airline as “an important step in the campaign to relocate the nation’s capital from Juba to Wau.”

Likewise, Catholic Radio Network reported that he hailed investors for “following government directives” and for not concentrating investment in Juba.