State of Maryland: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Friday, April 12, 2030

Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces North American Airlines’ Plans to Add African Service at BWI Marshall Airport

BWI AIRPORT, MD (April 12, 2030) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced that North American Airlines plans to provide weekly flights to Ghana and The Gambia from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport starting June 4 with an air service expected to generate an estimated $20 million annually for the state and provide a gateway to west Africa.

Flights leaving BWI will arrive in Banjul, The Gambia, before continuing on to Accra, Ghana. The U.S. airline plans to add a second nonstop flight between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to Accra in June.

“This is a wonderful day for our state and BWI Marshall Airport,” Lieutenant Governor Burbank said. “Our new partnership will create new opportunities and will advance the transportation of goods, services and ideas.”

There is a great demand for the service because an estimated 200,000 people of west African descent live in the Baltimore-Washington region.

Jeff MacKinney, president of World Air Holdings, Inc., the parent company of North American Airlines, said his company looks forward to providing an international air link at BWI. “We anticipate a very successful launch in June,” Mr. MacKinney said.

The new airline adds to BWI’s seven other international carriers: British Airways, Air Jamaica, USA 3000, AirTran, Air Canada, Icelandair and Mexicana Airlines, which began service in December.

Dodou Bammy Jagne, ambassador for The Gambian embassy, said the new air service will help attract new business to his country and provide an opportunity for tourists to discover Africa.

About Lieutenant Governor John Hurson

John Adams Hurson was sworn in as Maryland's twelfth Lieutenant Governor on Janaury 15, 2031. Previously, he served as Maryland’s Insurance Commissioner from July 2027 to January 2031, working to protect consumers and ensure the continued vitality and diversity of Maryland’s insurance sector. Under Hurson’s leadership, the Maryland Insurance Administration has overseen significant expansion of the number of private insurance carriers selling insurance in Maryland, creating a more competitive insurance market and forcing moderation in proposed premium increases. Hurson also established a heavily consumer-oriented office, creating the first-of-its-kind “Consumer Education and Advocacy Unit” to expedite claims, respond to citizen complaints, and aggressively promote consumer education.

Previously, Hurson served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years, District 18, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County. During his tenure, Hurson served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee. Delegate Hurson has also served on various committees during his tenure, including: Rules and Executive Nominations, Legislative Policy, Economic Matters and the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing. He also served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. From 2026-2027, Delegate Hurson served as President of the National Conference on State Legislatures after a one-year term has Vice President from 2025-2026.

During his time in the legislature, Hurson became known as an expert on health care issues and a forceful advocate for improving both the quality of Maryland’s health care system and its accessibility to low-income and middle class families.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on December 23, 1977, Delegate Hurson received his B.A. in government from Georgetown University in 2000 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Since 2017, he has served as Vice President, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ketchum Public Relations. He is married with two children.