London: More than six decades after it was filmed, a remarkable piece of Ghana's aviation history has resurfaced, showing eight young Ghanaian women undergoing training in London to become some of the country's earliest locally recruited cabin crew.
According to Ghana Web, the footage, captured in March 1960, shows the women at a London modelling school alongside Ghana Airways stewardess Esther Botchway, who supervised their training. Historical records identify the trainees as Alice Laryea, Lucy Panford, Mabel Quartey, Cecilia Provensal, Patience Ocansey, Gladys Daniels, Janet Ntansah, and Jemima Adusah.
The eight women had been sent to Britain for a training programme as Ghana Airways sought to build a professional cabin crew drawn from Ghanaian talent. Their training focused on areas including personal grooming, professional presentation, passenger care, and the responsibilities associated with working aboard an aircraft.
The initiative came just three years after Ghana gained independence and reflected the aspirations of the young nation to develop its own skilled workforce and establish a distinctly Ghanaian presence on the international stage. Ghana Airways began operations in 1958, connecting Ghana to West Africa before expanding its international network. However, the airline ceased operations in 2004.