Business News of Wednesday, 31 October 2018
Source: 3news.com
2018-10-31
Ghana is expected to have its own national airline in about two years
Aviation experts have cautioned government to completely divorce itself from playing a major role in the setting up of a new national airline to prevent circumstances that befell Ghana International Airline in 2010 and Ghana Airways in 2005.
Speaking at the first Airbus Aerospace whitepaper launch in Toulouse France, Vice President of the International Air Transport Association, Raphael Kuuchi encouraged government to have minority shares in the new airline and allow the private sector to drive it.
He said “it is prudent to have private sector driven airline. All over the world globally, aircraft business started as state owned but increasingly they have changed”.
Ghana has been without a national carrier since 2010 when Ghana International Airlines collapsed because of indebtedness and what many perceived to be government’s over indulgence.
In March 2015, the government of Ghana was expected to start its own airline but it did not happen.
Again in 2016 the October deadline was missed.
Ghana’s immediate past Aviation Minister Cecilia Dapaah in 2017 announced; a new airline will start in at least two years time.
Panelist at the Airbus Aerospace white paper launch agree operations of air transport in Africa is a tricky business and wants African countries eager of owning a national airline to be cautious.
Many Aviation experts believe it is about time Ghana got its own airline to compete with foreign airlines that have taken advantage of the vacuum to make money.
Rapheal Kuuchi said government’s role is to create an enabling environment and not to be seen doing business.
He said many of the problems that saw the collapse of some national Airlines in Africa was as a result of employing too many people and the inability of managers to attract the right professionals to run the business.
He also blamed the poor aviation market in some African countries to geo political issues like terrorist attacks that tend to impact traffic flow coupled with depreciating currency.