THE Ministry of Transport has pledged continuous support for the development of aviation infrastructure and the strengthening of regulatory oversight as part of efforts to advance Ghana’s air transport sector.
The assurance reflected government’s broader commitment to position Ghana as a competitive aviation hub in the West African sub region while enhancing safety, operational efficiency and service delivery across the industry.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, gave the assurance during a separate familiarisation visits to the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in Accra on Thursday.
The visits aimed at enabling her to understand their operations, interact with management and staff, and assess challenges confronting the institutions.
At the GACL, Ms Affo-Toffey stated that the ministry would continue to support the expansion and modernisation of airport infrastructure nationwide to facilitate trade and strengthen Ghana’s competitiveness within the aviation industry.
She encouraged management to adopt innovative approaches and look beyond core aircraft operations by fully utilising airport lands and facilities for commercial purposes.
According to her, maximising the commercial potential of airport assets would increase revenue, create employment opportunities and contribute to government’s resetting agenda and the 24-hour economy policy.
As part of the tour at the facility, the Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency, inspected ongoing expansion works at Terminal Two, runway expansion and overlay, and the construction of an ultra-modern head office complex.
According to the Managing Director of the GACL, Mrs Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, the new office complex is intended to provide adequate space for the company’s growing workforce and enhance operational efficiency. She stated that the project is scheduled for completion in July 2027.
At the GCAA, the Deputy Minister toured key operational facilities, including the air traffic control centre, the equipment room housing communication, navigation and surveillance systems, the new Air Navigation Services complex, the Advanced Passenger Information system, the multi-agency command centre and the Ghana Civil Aviation Training Academy.
The Director General, Reverend Stephen Wilfred Arthur, said work on the new air traffic control tower had reached 54 per cent completion, with civil works expected to be finalised by the end of the year. He explained that the new tower was being constructed to address structural and operational challenges associated with the existing facility.
He noted that although civil works on several air navigation service infrastructure projects had been completed, installation of equipment and resolution of interoperability issues were ongoing to prepare the Air Navigation Services for full operational decoupling.
Touching on challenges, he cited funding constraints, particularly cash flow difficulties in meeting the high cost of energy efficient infrastructure and specialised equipment.
Moreover, he indicated that certain communication and navigation equipment, including distance measuring equipment and digital voice recorders could cost as much as 2.8 million dollars each, making procurement and maintenance capital intensive.
He further raised concerns about the misuse of drones, high beam lights and laser devices, particularly around East Legon which falls within an aircraft approach path, describing them as safety risks during landing and takeoff.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
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