Transport Minister Dzifa Attivor being assisted by Asokore-Mamponhene to cut the tape
The situation where aircraft could not land at the Kumasi Airport with consequential agonising moment of flight cancellations due to inclement weather condition is now a thing of the past, Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor, has announced.
According to her, this follows the successful installation of an ultra-modern Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport to provide safer, secure, efficient and effective aviation and navigation services to air travel customers and aircrafts.
The €800,000 project, which was funded from the Internally Generated Funds (IGF) of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority was constructed by Thales Electronic Systems Germany.
The supply process commenced in March 2013 and was completed in February 2014 ahead of schedule.
Speaking at the inauguration of the instrument facilities in Kumasi yesterday, the Transport Minister said the equipment- made up of localiser, distance path measurer and gliding slope station – are to help direct aircrafts to land safely and soundly under the condition of poor visibility as a result of bad weather.
She stated that the aviation sector had a critical role to play as government strived to open up the country for development of agriculture, trade and tourism.
‘Today, one can say that Ghana’s aviation and air travel industry stands out as one of the fastest growing, especially on the domestic front, where the number of scheduled passenger airlines has grown from two to four, to take care of the increase in domestic air travel within the country,’ Dzifa Attivor noted.
The Minister indicated that the growth of the industry and entry of new airlines therefore called for enhanced safety measures to ensure continuous safety of the country’s skies.
‘I therefore wish to say that the installation of this equipment has come at the right time and I believe it will play its role of significantly improving the operations of aircraft to the Kumasi airport,’ she added.
Madam Attivor said the installation of the modern navigational equipment also formed part of the Government of Ghana’s programme to transform the country’s domestic airports into modern airports.
The Transport Minister disclosed that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as owner and operator of the airports in the country would soon commerce works on other projects at the airport to ensure that the dream of upgrading Kumasi Airport becomes a reality.
‘Currently, there are works on-going at the Kumasi Airport to rehabilitate the runaway in addition to extending its length, including the installation of Aeronautical ground lighting systems, which will permit night operations and allow passengers to connect international flights in Accra by the end of the year,’ she pointed out.
Air Commodore Kwame Mamphy, Director General of GCAA, on his part said flight to Kumasi had, in the past, been affected by poor weather conditions.
According to him, GCAA decided to install the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Kumasi Airport to improve safety and situational awareness.
He explained that the ILS was the most accurate approach and landing aid used by all international airports across the globe.
Air Commodore Mamphy said the equipment had the capability of guiding a pilot to land even when visibility was poor, and was already in use by the domestic airlines after it was calibrated and tested by a UK firm in collaboration with Ghana Air Force as per International Civil Aviation Organisation Standards and Recommended Practice.
‘It comprises three components namely the localiser – which is located opposite the normal approach and approximately 250m from the end of the runway; the glide path; and distance measurement equipment located approximately 15m from the runway centre-line and few metres from the runway threshold.’
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.