Dzifa Attivor lobbies ICAO Executives to Africa Air Expo
The Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, has requested the presence of two top executives of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) at the maiden Africa Air Expo scheduled to take place in the country in October, next year.
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The minister extended the invitation to the President of the ICAO Council, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, and its General Secretary, Dr Fang Liu, at the first World Aviation Forum in Montreal, Canada, where she led a delegation from Ghana to participate in the forum.
It was dubbed ‘No Country left Behind’ and brought together over 800 ministers and senior officials from different countries, the United Nations (UN) and international organisations.
The three-day event afforded participants the opportunity to hold series of landmark discussions on sustainable aviation development, tourism growth, and other critical air transport concerns.
Ghana’s delegation
Mrs Attivor, who chaired one of the panel discussions on the implementation of Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) and economic development, highlighted the need for improved engagement between member countries and ICAO in the SARPS implementation.
She also held landmark side meetings with the ICAO Council President and the Secretary General during which she discussed Ghana’s aviation growth as well as the industry contribution to the national economic output.
Ghana’s delegation comprised Mr Avm Dovlo, Board Chairman of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); Mr Twumasi Ankra-Selby, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport; Mr Simon Allotey, the Director-General of the GCAA; Mr Francis Cofie, the Director of Corporate Planning at the GCAA, and Mr Eric Mireku Amaning, the Corporate Communications Manager of the GCAA.
Future of global aviation sector
The ICAO Council President opened the forum and explained that with the flight and passenger volumes poised to double over the next 15 years, significant investment would be required towards a new airport and air navigation infrastructure and other air transport capacities.
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“It is critical for ICAO to bring together these players now in order to anticipate these challenges in greater detail and to raise awareness of the critical importance of aviation and global connectivity to the future prosperity of societies and economies all over the world,” he stated.
The ICAO Secretary General stated that in the light of ICAO’s cross-cutting nature and multiple links to other economic sectors, the total economic impact of aviation reaches some 3.5 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), equivalent to US$2.4 trillion.
It also supports some 58.1 million jobs, she added.
She explained that countries all over the world were now working together to realise the social, economic and environmental priorities reflected in the recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Liu said the organisation recognised that the fundamental role of safe and reliable aviation was an engine for socio-economic prosperity needed to be re-emphasised so that its benefits can contribute to that process.