The Minister for Aviation interacts with a Korean participant
Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has said that plans are far advanced for Ghana to re-introduce the national carrier.
“Our country, in the past, boasted of Ghana Airways as our national carrier which served the interest of passengers across Africa and many other destinations in the world. We believe that this honour must be restored through government’s keen interest to re-introducing a national carrier which will bear our spirit and pride as a people into the succeeding generations,” she stated.
The Minister disclosed this at the opening of the three-day Regional Aviation Summit for members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) held at Kempinski Hotel, Gold Coast City Accra.
The event, which opened on Monday, was under the theme, “Sustainable Development of the Air Transport in Africa.”
It attracted more than 30 players in the aviation industry in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe.
The summit also seeks to expedite the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD), which among others, seeks to establish a single African air transport market for the region.
According to Ms Dapaah, Government recognizes the role of aviation in the economic development of the national economy and has initiated a number of moves to ensure that the country becomes an enviable aviation hub both for international and regional airlines in the West African sub-region.
She cited ongoing projects at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), as well as the scrapping of 17.5 percent VAT on domestic flights by government.
The Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, said more emphasis must be placed on aviation infrastructure development to decongest African airports.
Dr. Aliu also stated that ICAO would foster partnerships under its ‘No Country Left Behind (NCLB) policy.
By Solomon Ofori
