By
Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA – Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, the
Minister of Aviation has called on managers of airlines, through the Board of
Airline Representatives to furnish his office with the requisite data to inform
policy decisions.
“To be able to channel your concerns, you
need to provide the Ministry with information to be able to argue at the
cabinet level,” he said.
Mr Adda said this in a meeting with Managers
of airlines both international and domestic operating in the country.
The meeting is to afford the new Minister the
opportunity to formally introduce himself to operators of the industry and
commit to working together with the industry players.
The Minister said he would like to walk to
government to fully understand their various concerns and proposed suggestions
and best practices in other jurisdictions.
Some of the concerns of the airlines pending
included taxes, security, leasing cost, fuel price and license among others.
Mr Adda, said government would have to
consider many things before coming out with policies that would affect the
players in the aviation industry and the industry would improve if information
was disseminated freely between the Ministry and the airlines.
He said government would at all times be
concerned about passengers, their safety and the respect they got from the
service providers and operators must pay attention to issues on quality
customer service and air passenger safety and rights.
Mr Adda called for healthy competition among
stakeholders and encouraged the players in the domestic airlines space to
consider plying the Ho and Wa Airports, since they were ready for use.
On the Home-based carrier agenda, the Minister
said it was opened to other investors, who could invest in it, adding that all
the processes would be completed by the end of the year to open up the aviation
sector.
Madam Gloria Yirenkyi, the Chairperson of the
Board of Airlines Representative, commended the Minister for the interaction
with players in the industry and said the Board would revert to the Ministry
with the necessary data and information needed to champion the course of the
operators to improve and grow the industry.
Airline operators included Ethiopian Airlines,
Africa World Airlines, ASKY Airlines, Passion Air, Emirates, TAP Portugal,
Turkish Airlines, KLM, Kenya Airways, Brussels Airlines, RwandAir, Air Cote
d’Ivoire, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, and Air France, among others.
GNA