Ghana’s aviation market is full of opportunities—Vflyair CEO

DECEMBER 7-9 2020 | AVIATIONGHANA.COM

C r e d i b l e S o u r c e o f A v i a t i o n & T o u r i s m N e w s I n W e s t A f r i c a

GHATOF appeals for a reduction in the PCR testing charges

The West Africa aviation market remains underserved and requires sustained investment to fully realise the benefits of aviation for the region, Vaibhav Doshi, Chief Executive Officer of Vflyair Airline Co. Limited has said.

“There is a lot of space available in the West Africa market. Ghana in particular has a lot of potential. Though there are a lot of airline operators working here, there is still connectivity issues. This shows that the market is raw. We believe that there is still space,” he told AviationGhana in an exclusive interview.

The International Air Transport Association forecasts that Africa will be a market of 350million passengers by 2035, supporting 6.8million jobs and contributes US$80billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It is projected that passenger demand will average 5.7 percent annually within the next two decades. This presents enormous economic opportunities for countries on the continent.

The Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), an umbrella body for all the Tourism Trade Associations in Ghana, has appealed to the government to consider the cost of the COVID-19 test on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport.

Ghana’s aviation market is full of opportunities—Vflyair CEO

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BY DOMINICK ANDOH

Jet Fuel & Crude Oil Price ($/barrel)

Mainstreaming of the aviation sector in Ghana

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AVIATION GHANA DECEMBER 7-9, 20202

GHATOF appeals for a reduction in the PCR testing charges

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Ghana’s aviation market is full of opportunities —Vflyair CEO

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A statement issued in Accra by Mr Bella Ayayee Ahu, GHATOF, President said the cost of the test was making travelling expensive as the industry sought to use the December in Ghana to kick start International arrivals in the country.

It said the tourism and hospitality industry was doing what it could to stimulate demand but “we continue to see cancellations of already booked trips because of the extra $150 charges on PCR Test, a challenge to most travellers in this COVID-19 pandemic period.”

It said the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality sector was the hardest hit sector by the COVID-19.

“Unfortunately, little support has been received to support the sector to gain its feet and bounce back,” it added.

The statement said the hotels, car rentals, tour guides, restaurants, tour operators, pubs, event organizers who were all members of the Federation continue to struggle with little or no support.

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It said as resilient as the sector had always proven to be “we believe that the Government in collaboration with the Stakeholders must work together and make deliberate efforts geared towards sustaining businesses and saving livelihoods.”

It said the industry was of the view

that a downward review of the PCR test at the Airport would go a long to support the sector.

“We also wish to appeal to the government to have an industry targeted support for the Tourism, Travel and Hospitality sector,” it added. GNA

However, investment has been low and political will to liberalize Africa’s airspace to tap into these benefits has been unsteady.

Mr. Doshi, said private airlines such as Vflyair has seen the potential in the Ghanaian market and is ready to operate both passenger and cargo service once their Air Carrier License (ACL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) are issued by the aviation sector regulator—the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

“We saw a gap over here which we have come to fill. We want to put Ghana on the Africa and world connectivity map. [When the approval is given by the CAA] we will operate A319 and A320s with dual class configuration. It will be a full service airline.

“We will be connecting Accra regionally initially to start with and later on, in partnership with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), we plan to start charters to the Caribbean market and to connect the Far East to

Ghana. We feel we will be ready by end of February 2021.”

Vflyair Ghana Limited Vflyair Ghana Limited is a Ghanaian

registered company that is currently undergoing certification by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to operate scheduled passenger and cargo service.

The company plans to operate two Airbus A320s and one A319 offering scheduled services between Accra and Abidjan/Dakar, Accra to Johannesburg and Cape Town via Libreville, Kinshasa and Luanda.

It also plans to connect Accra to Tunis and Cairo in North Africa.

Vflyair Company Limited based in Hanoi City, Vietnam, which currently operates cargo flights and offer charter services to major international organisations in Asia, Central and West Africa are expected to provide the aircraft needed for the Ghana operations.

DELTA AIRLINE 1762***USD

TURKISH AIRLINE 1138**USD

EHTIOPIA AIRLINE- 1265***USD

AIR FRANCE AIRLINE 1940***USD

EMIRATES AIRLINE 1061***USD

NOTE- ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABLITY

AVIATION GHANA 3 DECEMBER 7-9, 2020


Delta Airlines to launch contact tracing for passengers starting Dec. 15

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Delta is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep international customers informed of potential COVID-19 exposure through contact tracing. Along with our nine global airline partners, we are working with government agencies, health officials and aviation authorities to offer safer travel at every point in your journey.

Beginning Dec. 15, Delta will become the first U.S. airline to ask customers traveling to the U.S. from an international location to voluntarily provide five pieces of data to aid contact tracing and public health follow-up efforts.

“Independent studies have shown that the many layers of protection Delta has already put in place are effectively minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and contact tracing adds one more important layer to our efforts to ensure safety throughout travel,” said Bill Lentsch, Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. “

He added that: “We want customers to feel safe when they return to travel, and this voluntary program is another way we can provide additional

reassurance to customers and employees alike.”

Customers and those in their itinerary can voluntarily participate in the contact-tracing program if they are flying on any Delta-operated flight, a foreign national and/or a U.S. passport holder traveling to the United States as the final destination

Under the new process, Delta is working with the CDC to streamline contact-tracing efforts by directly and securely transmitting the five requested customer data points to the CDC via U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This will give the CDC access to the data in moments, dramatically decreasing the time it takes to notify affected customers via local health departments.

By connecting with customers more quickly and providing public health follow-up, health authorities can help reduce instances of potential exposure and slow the spread of the virus.

Currently, in the event of confirmed COVID-19 case with travel while infectious, the CDC requests a passenger manifest from Delta to identify all customers seated two

seats around the confirmed case. This information is then transmitted to the appropriate local health departments for follow-up, with each department taking responsibility for passengers in their own jurisdiction.

“Data is central to our vision for the future of travel, and we understand our vision is only as good as the trust customers place in us to protect their identity and information. All data submitted by customers through this voluntary collection process is sent to the CDC using established channels between airlines and U.S. Customs

and Border Protection for the Advance Passenger Information System. We will retain this information for no longer than is necessary to achieve the contact tracing and public health follow-up objectives, or as required by Customs and Border Protection.

Protecting our customers’ security and privacy are top priorities for all Delta employees, and customers can be confident their information will be treated with the same level of care we take for your safety throughout your travel journey,” Delta said in a statement.



Window for change

How governments can create a green, job-rich global recovery

BY GITA BHATT

BY KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA AND RAJIV J. SHAH

There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen. This

saying could not be more apt today. The pandemic—which has disrupted the world in profound ways—has prompted countries to roll out significant policy changes that might otherwise have taken years. It has also sped the arrival of technologies and new ways of working and learning, moving us almost overnight into a new era.

For many professionals, working from home has become easier. Yet for many others— particularly workers in hospitality and tourism, delivery, retail, and basic care—deep economic scars are already forming. Among them: lost jobs, a widening skills gap, increasing inequality, and a toll

on mental health. Women, youth, minorities, and the less skilled are disproportionately affected—and could face the beginning of many lost years. Those unlucky enough to start careers in a recession may experience lower earnings for 10 to 15 years after graduation, or longer.

This issue of Finance & Development, produced in partnership with the World Economic Forum, looks at the future of jobs and economic opportunity. It explores what can be done to shape a better tomorrow—one that puts people at the center of policy.

Reforms must focus on creating higher-quality jobs for more people in more places, says Martin Sandbu. “Work must be central because it is where many of the chronic and pandemic-related economic challenges intersect: inequality, precarity, and the new informality; geographic disparity; and technological change,” he writes.

The IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva highlights the importance of investing in women and young people and enhancing education, training, and re-skilling to open up opportunities. “People-focused policies can boost productivity, especially if investments enhance the abilities of workers in informal and low-skill job,” she argues.

Common threads run through the other articles. Heather Boushey and Lawrence Mishel argue for policies that strengthen worker power. Sabina Dewan and Ekkehard Ernst, who survey the economic fallout from the pandemic in developing economies, call for improved social protection and social insurance, especially for

gig and informal workers. Binyamin Appelbaum shares his point of view on the role of economics in analyzing the inequities of distribution and incorporating insights from other disciplines.

Other contributors urge increased healthcare and childcare support; better designed progressive taxation to address income inequality; and scaled up investment in digital access as well as green technologies that would create new jobs in the process.

In the deepest crises are born great opportunities. This is such a moment—a window for radical change, not to be squandered. In weeks to come, decades can happen.

Climate change and the COVID-19 crisis have a great deal in common. Both are human tragedies and economic catastrophes: The pandemic has taken more than a million lives, thrown hundreds of millions out of work, and is projected to wipe out $28 trillion in output over the next five years; climate change’s effects, meanwhile, are upending lives and livelihoods. Both crises are most devastating for vulnerable people and communities around the world. And both punish nations for under-preparation and shortsightedness.

The two crises share something else in common: A strong, coordinated, green public investment push can help address both.

The world is in the middle of massive efforts to restart economies and get people back to work. World leaders gathered at the Paris Peace Forum some weeks ago to discuss next steps; that conversation continued some days ago at the G20 summit. We have an opportunity to make smart, coordinated decisions—ones that

can catalyze green investments to jump-start the recovery and decrease the likelihood and impact of climate catastrophe.

In response to the pandemic’s economic devastation, the world’s largest economies have already committed over $12 trillion in fiscal spending for coronavirus recovery, and many have the capacity to do far more. As they make new investments, the importance of synchronization is clear. Strong evidence, including from the financial crisis of a decade ago, suggests that if G20 countries acted alone rather than acting together, it would take about two-thirds more spending to achieve the same outcomes.

Rather than invest in fossil-fueled technology like coal-fired plants that will accelerate climate change, we can choose a greener, better way. Job-rich projects include planting forests and mangroves, engaging in soil conservation, and retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient. Building climate-resilient infrastructure and expanding green public transportation, renewable energy, and smart electricity grids are also essential. And investing in

off-grid renewables creates growth by connecting some of the 3.5 billion people who currently lack access to sufficient electricity.

The world must take advantage of the latest technological innovations, and we are already seeing action at scale. The European Union has pledged to spend more than $640 billion (€550 billion) on green projects over the next several years. Emerging market countries like Indonesia and Egypt are issuing green bonds. But every large economy, every international institution, every philanthropy, and every private investor can do more. Indeed, as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has observed, the balance between green and non-green spending so far tilts too much toward the latter, risking further environmental degradation.

During the 2008 financial crisis, G20 leaders came together behind a coordinated recovery program. A similar move in the weeks and months ahead could mobilize new sources of capital for countries that need it, including low-income countries where much of the climate adaptation work must be done. The G20 would

thus build on the actions it already took to help low-income countries during the pandemic: to suspend their debt service payments and to set forth a common framework for resolving unsustainable debt on a case-by-case basis.

Governments could also design policies that could unlock capital and ingenuity from the private sector. Right now, the returns on green investments are growing as costs drop. Still, an accelerated private sector shift to cleaner energy and greater energy efficiency requires a steadily increasing carbon price or equivalent measures. Some of the revenue can be used to ensure a “just transition” that protects people in poverty from higher energy prices and assists displaced workers. A debt-financed green investment plan combined with carbon pricing could actually boost economic growth for many years, creating around 12 million net new jobs through 2027.

If we take sustained action, starting now, history will remember one more commonality between the COVID-19 and climate crises: that we came out of them stronger and more resilient.

This article originally appeared on Fortune.com.

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AVIATION GHANA 7 DECEMBER 7-9, 2020newsGhana’s tourism industry advocates for peace in upcoming elections

Kenya: Bomas, KICC merger plan in tourism revival strategy

Mr. Ahmed Naamann, a founding member of the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA)-Ghana, has rallied stakeholders in the tourism industry to be actively involved in the campaign for peaceful elections.

“Our desire is to enhance Ghana’s image as an ultimate peaceful African destination of choice. “The onus, consequently, lies on key stakeholders in the industry to put a premium on issues that promote unity, social cohesion and peaceful co-existence,” he stressed.

Mr. Naamann, a former Ashanti Regional President of the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF), was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a peace symposium at the Centre for National Culture (CNC), Kumasi.

“Sustaining Tourism through Peaceful Elections,” was the theme for the programme, which was organized under the supervision of the ATTA-Ghana.

Participants included; representatives of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) traditional authorities, GHATOF and

trade associations.The clergy, media, Ghana Tourism

Authority (GTA), Rotary Club and other identifiable groups were also duly represented.

The peace symposium had the objective of deepening understanding of the respective roles and duties of the citizenry towards incident-free and fair elections.

It aimed at highlighting the effects of successful polls on the tourism industry, and contributions of the key industry players to fostering peace before, during and after the elections.

Mr. Naamann indicated that “our destiny lies in our own hands as a nation.”

It was incumbent on the people, he noted, to avoid utterances and other practices which could dent the image of the country as a “peaceful hub amongst the comity of West African nations.”

Mr. Emmanuel Boateng, President of the ATTA-Ghana, reminded stakeholders that there could not be any meaningful development and growth in the tourism industry without peace.

Tourism, he said, thrived on

peace, citing how visitors needed a harmonious environment for new life experiences.

“Peace is the cornerstone of travel and tourism, and also essential to socio-economic growth. We must as such strive to understand the intrinsic relations between the tourism sector and global peace-building efforts.”

The Reverend Sheriff Ahmed Sadick Boateng, a Minister of the Liberty Baptist Church at Buokrom-Junction, Kumasi, appealed to the citizenry to take a cue from the mayhem that

befell some African countries due to electoral disputes and violence.

As part of the peace campaign, ATTA-Ghana also held a vigil night where the lit candles to drum home their message.

ATTA acts as Pan-Africa’s largest network of tourism products, encompassing accommodation, transport, travel and tour operator specialists on the continent.

It is a trade association promoting tourism to Africa from all corners of the world. GNA

The government plans to merge the management of its two iconic conferencing facilities in Nairobi in the next two years in efforts to accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector.

The Treasury said it will merge Bomas of Kenya with the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), including all other public funded meetings, incentives, and conferencing and exhibition venues.

The move is part of the post-recovery strategies to promote tourism which has faced the biggest hit in terms of job losses and income. It is expected to change the operations and the way the Treasury funds the agencies.

KICC is tasked with positioning the country as a favourable destination for travel and exhibitions. Bomas is used for holding events and also host heritage for tourism.

National Treasury also plans to outsource management of Bomas of Kenya and Kenya Utalii College.

“To meet the demands imposed on the tourist sector by the pandemic, the sector will fast-track the review of Tourism Policy Framework,” National Treasury said in the post Covid-19 economic recovery strategy note.

“The sector is currently undertaking review of the National Tourism Policy 2010 which will culminate in the review of the Tourism Act 2011 and a major restructuring of the existing institutions into five semi-autonomous agencies.”

The KICC was among centres in the exhibition industry that had reported almost zero revenues due to economic fallout from the pandemic.

In September, KICC chief executive Nana Gecaga said the centre saw cancellations of about 10 events scheduled in March-June period including Next Einstein Forum 2020 Global Gathering, the 4th Pan African Youth Conference and China Province Expo. (Source: Business Daily Africa)


Special Report


AVIATION GHANA DECEMBER 7-9, 20201 0


BY DOMINICK ANDOH

The important contribution of aviation to local and regional economies is immense. Indeed, air transport is usually associated

with significant portions of local business. It has been proven that the influence on local and regional economic activity extends well beyond the airport site.

Better still, the location of airports influences the geographic distribution of industries and can be a significant factor in the decisions of certain industries to locate in a specific state or region. Tourism industries have also been shown to be sensitive to air travel access.

Data indicate that access to air transport plays an increasingly important role in the ability of some high-technology industries,

such as computers and electronics, to compete, and that the location of airport facilities influences the location of these industries.

Despite these enormous benefits, the aviation sector in Ghana has been an appendage of various government agencies until recently when it has been mainstreamed as a viable and important contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Early attempts at flying in Ghana Development of air transport in Ghana

dates back to the First World War era, when in October, 1918 Vickers Aviation Limited requested Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, the then Governor of Gold-Coast (Ghana) to permit the deployment of their aircraft in the colony. A second company named Swinton Limited based in London, also in 1919 presented an application to initiate negotiation with the colonial government

on aerial transportation. Consequently, the governor summoned

a four member commission to submit a feasibility report on “Air Transportation in the Gold Coast”. Upon a favourable report from the commission, the British government opened the way for survey work on the establishment of aerodromes in the colony. The following sites and locations were recommended after the survey work: Accra-Polo Grounds (Now Nkrumah Museum), Kumasi-old Polo Grounds, and in Tamale-the Constabulary Parade Grounds.

Thus, airfields were constructed to serve the air transport needs of the country. The first aircraft ever to visit the country landed on April 15, 1928, piloted by Sir Alan Cobhan in a flying boat called “Singapore”. The flying boat, “Singapore”, on arrival, circled for a while over the township of Accra for the general public to savour the sight, eventually flying off to Takoradi to

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AVIATION GHANA 1 1 DECEMBER 7-9, 2020special report

dock north of the lee breakwater of Takoradi Harbour. The aircraft left Takoradi two days later, to continue its itinerary.

Following the success of the ‘flying boat’ trip, on January 12, 1929 another feat was achieved. An aeroplane (a land machine) was safely landed in the country, this time at Tamale in the north by Captain R. S. Rattray. Captain Rattray landed in Accra on 13th January 1929, covering the distance of 280 miles from Tamale to Accra in 4 hours, 40 minutes. He landed on a strip specially prepared for the purpose near the Korle Lagoon.

Construction of Kotoka International Airport

Accra Airport (re-named Kotoka International Airport in 1967) was built in the pre-war years on a small scale following approval by the British Government of the feasibility reports on the need for air transport services as an instrument for expeditious transportation of mails, goods and persons and for economic development in British West Africa.

There were no developments evident at the airport until the outbreak of the Second World War, when the Mediterranean became a theatre of war and West Africa’s advantageous position was recognised.

Accra Airport was then identified as a strategic staging-post for a re-enforcement of the Allied Forces in North Africa and the Middle East. Developments in aviation then took the form of extending and strengthening the existing runway, building of a Control Tower, Hangars, Workshops and other technical buildings to equip and convert the airport into a military aerodrome to meet the war’s vital necessities for victory. The Director of Public Works (during the

war years) and the Commissioner of Police exercised authority over the Air Services Department.

In 1946, about a year after the end of the Second World War and the subsequent withdrawal of the American and British Forces from the Gold Coast, the colonial government reverted the administration of the Air Services to civil use and re-named it Civil Aviation Department. Apart from General Administration, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) also dealt with Air Traffic Services, Aerodrome Management and Crash Rescue and Fire Fighting Service. Support services essential for civil aviation development were also established and resourced.

The completion of the project set the

stage for Ghana Airways to use the airport as its base in 1958. The airport was originally designed and commissioned to accommodate a maximum of five hundred thousand (500,000) passengers annually. In 1969, the Accra International Airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in memory of the late Lt. General E.K. Kotoka.

From an appendage to mainstream Until recently, the aviation sector has not

been deemed important enough to stand on its own just like the education, Trade & Industry and other sectors, until President John Agyekum Kufuor assumed power. Prior to that, the sector has been treated as an appendage of the Ministry of Transport with a small corner office in-charge of aviation-related issues. The treatment of aviation as a step child of the Transport Ministry saw little exertion to grow the sector and thus aviation’s socio-economic impact was not realised.

Air transportation is one of the world’s most important industries. Its development and its technical and service achievements

make it one of the greatest contributors to the advancement of modern society. It plays an increasingly vital role in facilitating economic growth, particularly in developing countries and regions. Better understanding of the nature of air transportation system and the role that it plays in an urban agglomeration is critical because the ‘accessibility through airports’ assumed an elevated role under the NPP government of President Kufuor.

The NPP administration kick-started the process that would culminate in mainstreaming the sector in November 2004. A new civil aviation law, the Civil Aviation Act, 2004 (Act 678) was enacted. The law mandated the separation of the airports management functions of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to a new entity.

The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) was eventually set up for that purpose. The objective was for GCAA to focus on its role as the Regulator of the air transport industry and provider of air navigation services. In line with the Act, GACL was incorporated in January 2006 but commenced operations in January 2007 with the responsibility for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports in Ghana. After the decoupling of the GCAA, GACL continued with the development programme for Kotoka International Airport.

A bold statement by government was the decision to liberate aviation from under the shadows of the Ministry of Transport and create a dedicated ministry for it in 2006. The Ministry of Aviation was, therefore, set-up to champion aviation sector development.

Unfortunately, after the NPP government lost power in 2009, the bright prospects of the aviation industry were dashed when the Aviation Ministry was collapsed and aviation-related issues placed back under the shadows of the Transport Ministry. This period saw one of the most retrogressive policies—the imposition of a 17.5 % VAT on domestic air transport. This period saw a sharp decline in domestic passenger throughput, with dampened demand pushing operators such as Antrak, Starbow and Fly540 to the brink.

Revival and mainstreaming of aviation

The coming into office of the NPP under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has marked the resurgence of the aviation industry. Firstly, aviation, which supports the livelihoods of some 65.5 million people globally including sectors such as travel and tourism, was brought out of the shadows of the Transport Ministry and a separate ministry re-created for it. This decision by the President, has served to facilitate the rapid growth of the sector.

The ‘nuisance’ 17.5 percent VAT on domestic air travel was abolished. Relations with international bodies and sister countries

AVIATION GHANA DECEMBER 7-9, 20201 2 special report

have also been deepened, evidenced by the signing of various Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) and the winning of various international awards.

Under the leadership of Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, Ghana’s Kotoka International Airport has been adjudged the best airport in West Africa and the fourth best in the World by the Airport Council International (ACI) Africa. The country moved from 6th last year to 4th in the West Africa ranking.

The hosting of the 28th Airports Council International (ACI) Conference in Accra last year, marked a return of the sector to the high table of aviation globally.

The Adda-led ministry has continued to push for reforms and growth in the aviation sector in Ghana with measurable results.

Ghana obtained a provisional Effective Implementation (EI) rate of 89.89 percent, the highest by an African country, after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded its Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) on April 3, 2019, in line with the United Nations aviation agency’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP).

Recognising this landmark achievement by the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Kofi Adda, stressed the need for the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to immediately develop an action plan towards the implementation of corrective measures that have been recommended by the ICAO team.

“Ghana’s air transport industry enjoys strong government support, which is a crucial determinant for the aviation sector’s ability to maintain an ICAO compliant regulatory framework and to achieve accelerated sustainable growth of the sector in the years ahead,” Mr. Adda noted.

Establishment of the AIB

On the strengthening of legislation governing the aviation industry, Parliament recently passed the Ghana Civil Aviation (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 985) together with the Legislative Instrument on Aircraft Accident and Serious Incident Regulations,2019 (LI 2375) to ensure enhanced compliance with ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).

One of the most important reforms undertaken by the Kofi Adda-led Aviation Ministry is the setting up of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB). The Bureau will be responsible for investigating all aviation-related incidents and accidents in the country.

The setting up of the specialised agency will prevent the current situation where the aviation industry regulator, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), is heavily involved in investigating incidents and accidents involving operators that it regulates.

For instance, the regulator was key in investigating the Allied Air accident in 2012, the Antrak Air incident in 2013, and the Starbow Airlines incident in 2017.

Aside curing the conflict of interest in the current investigative process, establishing an independent accident investigation body was one of the key recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) after a recent assessment and is in line with best practice for regulators not to investigate such incidents themselves.

The Bureau, is also responsible for investigating aircraft incidents and accidents in the oceanic region within the Accra Flight Information Region.

Setting up of the Air Navigation Services (ANS)

Parliament in November 2020 passed the Air Navigation Services Agency Bill, creating an autonomous and independent entity out of the current Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The separation of the air navigation and regulatory functions of the GCAA is in line with international best practice in aviation and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to ensure that the GCAA does not act as an operator and regulator at the same time.

Despite the benefits and recommendations by major global agencies of aviation including ICAO, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) for the separation of the ANS function from the regulatory role of the country’s CAA, it has been on the drawing board since 2006.

Under the direction of the Aviation Minister, an ultra-modern office complex is under construction to house the air Navigation Services (ANS) agency within the Kotoka International Airport enclave.

AVIATION GHANA 1 3 DECEMBER 7-9, 2020special report

Setting up of a National Air Transport Facilitation Committee

On-ground infrastructure New Home-Based Carrier

Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister for Aviation has pushed for the setting up of a15-member committee to provide a framework to guide the improvement and optimisation of aircraft, crew and other issues relating to air transport in the country. The committee has representations from the government, other air transport-related communities and the private sector.

Other on-ground infrastructure to accelerate the growth of the sector are currently on-going. They include the construction of a new terminal building at Kumasi, Sunyani, and Tamale. The completion of the Wa Airport, and conducting of feasibility studies on proposed airport in Yendi, Mole and Navrongo. Indeed, feasibility study has been completed and funding source identified for the construction of an airport in Ankaful to serve the Central Region– a major tourism hub.

The airport and other ancillary facilities, which is to be sited on a 600 acre land at Ankaful, is expected to cost about US$60million to construct.

Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, briefing the Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, about the project said: “Our team from the Ministry of Aviation, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) have investigated the various sites and completed the feasibility studies.

“We have also identified the source of funding. If we get the approval of the Ministry of Finance and Parliament, Cape Coast will have an airport. We are working on building an Airport for Cape Coast.

“The feasibility shows that it is viable. We have been able to source the funding upwards of US$50/60million. Cape Coast is very important when it comes to tourism and education. There was a feasibility study done in 1997/8 and we have had to update that before we could make pronouncements on whether we could construct an airport in Cape Coast.”

Since the collapse of Ghana Airways and its successor, Ghana International Airlines, it has been a national desire to see the national colours back in the air. Successive governments have tried with no success in actualizing this.

Under the direction of the Akufo-Addo-led administration, the Aviation Ministry has successfully signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EgyptAir for the establishment of a new flag carrier.

The choice of Cairo-based EgyptAir as the preferred strategic partner follows series of engagement with senior management team of the airline and the committee of aviation experts constituted by the Aviation Ministry. Despite the signing of an MoU last year with Ethiopian Airlines to actualise the vision of a new home-based carrier, the deal was held back due to a lack of agreement over key issues such as routes, funding, and tenure of the management contract among others.

The draft agreement between Ghana and EgyptAir is expected to go before Cabinet and Parliament for perusal and approval in the coming weeks.

Conclusion From the shadows, aviation is now a strong stand-alone sector that

contributed US$2.5 billion to the country’s GDP in 2018. The progress made under the Akufo-Addo government is unparalleled and demands a sustain momentum to achieve the heights of major aviation hubs in Europe and the Middle East. With the verve of the Aviation Ministry, the country is shaping up to be the aviation capital of the sub-region.

New Kumasi Airport terminal building under construction.

AVIATION GHANA DECEMBER 7-9, 20201 4

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IATA, AFRAA and AFCAC enter agreement to support African airlines

Star Alliance named world’s leading airline alliance

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and African Airlines Association (AFRAA) have entered a three-year safety project agreement with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) to provide technical support to the African Air operators of states party to the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM) to ensure global aviation safety standards.

AFCAC Secretary-General Tefera Makonnen Tefera told a meeting in Nairobi that the initiative funded by African Development Bank (ADB) will conduct gap analyses and recommend corrective actions for each participating carrier to prepare them for IATA Operational Safety Audits (IOSA) or IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) evaluation.

He said participating airlines’ personnel will receive quality and safety management systems training. “IATA, AFRAA, and AFCAC will also

host workshops and training sessions held at their facilities in Nairobi, Johannesburg and Dakar,” he said.

“Depending on the size of their organisation and aircraft they operate, airlines wanting to take advantage of the SAATM’s market and commercial expansion benefits are required to be certified either through IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) or Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programs,” stated Tefera.

IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East Mohamed Ali Albakri said the project would bolster safety standards in line with the Abuja Declaration on Safety in Africa and help operationalise the SAATM while reinforcing the development of sustainable commercial air transport on the continent crucial to the recovery and future growth of economies devastated by the Covid-19 crisis.

AFRAA Secretary General Abdelrahman Berthe said the ultimate

goal of the project was to improve safety levels for the airline sector in Africa through the attainment of IATA Operational Safety Association (IOSA), an internationally recognised

evaluation system that assesses airlines operational management and control systems from a safety perspective. (Source: The Standard)

tar Alliance has been named the World’s Leading Airline Alliance in this year’s World Travel Awards.

The annual awards cover multiple categories and are awarded based on a worldwide poll of qualified executives working within travel and tourism, and the consumer travel buyer. The awards serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Earlier, the Star Alliance’s branded airport lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was recognized as the best in North America by the World Travel Awards. The lounge at LAX is one of eight such lounges globally.

“We are grateful for the continued recognition from travel and tourism executives and from the World Travel Awards organisation,” said Jeffrey Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Star Alliance, adding “I do so on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of dedicated

employees of the 26 member airlines of the Alliance, who work tirelessly to provide an unparalleled customer travel experience.”

He went on the say, “In a very trying year when our collective commitment has turned to providing passenger health and hygiene safety throughout their flight, we are finding ways to further innovate along the passenger journey through new contactless travel initiatives such as the recent launch of Star Alliance Biometrics at Frankfurt and Munich Airports, and solutions to address new frictions to a seamless journey experience.”

Graham Cooke, Founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Our World winners represent the best in global travel and tourism and my congratulations to each of them. They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges.” He added: “The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes

cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel has never been stronger. With hope and the tourism bounce on the horizon, our industry can look forward to a resurgent and bright future.”

“Our unrelenting focus on improving the customer experience is

evident by the continued recognition of the Alliance and of its member airlines, 12 of whom also received a combination of 20 individual and regional awards. All of us are working together with other industry experts to exit this global crisis and reconnect the world,” Mr. Goh added.

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