Prioritise safety amid passenger traffic surge — Hassan Tampuli
As Ghana's aviation industry experiences a substantial increase in passenger traffic, safety standards are crucial in sustaining the growth, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Hassan Tampuli has said.
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According to him, passenger traffic reached 2,914,661 in 2023, a significant rise from the 2019 figure of 2,328,750.
He said domestic travel also surged, with passenger numbers climbing from 690,314 in 2019 to 775,662 in 2023.
Speaking at the opening of the Civil Air Navigation Organisation (CANSO) Africa Safety and Operations Workshop in Accra, Mr Tampuli said Ghana has experienced overall growth in air passenger traffic on both domestic and international routes over the past few years.
That, he said, indicated that the aviation industry had fully recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and was on track for growth.
Workshop
The four-day workshop organised by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on the theme: “Recommitting Ourselves to Safety in Operations,” aimed to recommit collaborative efforts towards reinforcing safety in our various operations.
It brought together CANSO member states in Africa, industry players and experts to engage, learn and share experiences and ideas on regional programmes and safety in the operations of the industry.
Safety and Security
“With the increase in aircraft movements comes the challenges of efficient airspace management and optimisation, safety management and facilitation. Indeed, we have already made significant progress and we must continue to strive for leadership in safety and security within the West African region.
However, we must remember that any laxity on the part of stakeholders could undermine industry confidence and potentially halt the progress we've made in building a vibrant aviation industry,” he said.
“Therefore, your commitment, the common vision of a safe, secure and orderly flow of traffic with the operational readiness of aviation personnel, in particular aircrew and air traffic controllers, as well as the airworthiness of aircraft, will be critical to the very success of the sector,” he added.
Mr Tampuli reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to supporting and guiding the development and enhancement of the aviation sector.
He said the ministry would invest in aviation and related infrastructure, implement regulatory reforms and improve services to ensure exceptional experiences at our airports and in our airspace.
“As we navigate the evolving challenges and opportunities within the aviation industry, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and proactive in prioritising the safety of air transport.
“Let us continue to collaborate, educate and innovate to position the sector as a driver of economic development, promote tourism and create employment opportunities,” the deputy minister said.
The Director of Air Traffic Safety Engineering (ASTE) at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Joyce Asante, said safety was a key enabler in the aviation value chain and important at a time when most Air Navigation Service Providers were operating at their pre-covid traffic levels and others even experiencing rapid growth and exceeding their pre-covid traffic levels.