10-Member national airline task force inaugurated

The government has initiated measures towards reviving the national airline by inaugurating  a 10-member task force. 

The national airline task force is mandated to start the process of developing a business model and operational framework for the proposed project.

It is also required to coordinate engagements with potential strategic and technical partners, oversee regulatory compliance and the certification process, including facilitating initial operational arrangements like staffing, fleet acquisition and route planning.

Since the collapse of Ghana Airways in the early 2000s, there had been various attempts to establish a reliable home-based airline to provide regional, sub-regional and international air transport services for the country.

Despite winning the bid to partner the government to revive the national airline project, Ashanti Airlines Limited (AAL) failed to meet the crucial deadline, rendering the entire efforts which started in 2017 to have the national carrier in the skies unsuccessful.

Members

The 10-member national task force is chaired by a former Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), Charles Asare.

Other members are Twumasi-A Selby, an aviation expert - Vice-Chair; Yvonne Opare, MD of GACL; Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a senior presidential advisor; Ellis Hugh-Tamakloe, an aviation expert; Benjamin Ahlijah; Patricia Bonsu, an aviation expert; Rev. Stephen Arthur, Director-General, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); Daniel Acquah, a former Deputy Director-General, GCAA, and Eric Tetteh-Addison.

The terms of reference for the task force, among other things, include the provision of periodic reports and recommendation to the office of the President through the Ministry of Transport.

Commitment

The Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, who inaugurated the task force in Accra yesterday, said the government would leverage lessons from the past to re-establish the national airline.

“It is part of the government's policy to make Ghana the aviation hub of West Africa and take advantage of the many potential benefits it comes with to facilitate our socio-economic development agenda.

“It will facilitate the development of the tourism industry in the country, provide a sense of national pride, self esteem and employment opportunities for many qualified nationals in the aviation industry,” Mr Nikpe added.

He said the hub concept required that the government strategically positioned the aviation industry through the establishment of a home-based carrier and equipped airports with state-of-the-art facilities.

The minister said it would also provide quality operations and services to make it the preferred point of origin and destination for both scheduled and non-scheduled flights.

“The task force is in fulfilment of President John Mahama’s promise to revive and restart a transparent process for the national airline project,” he said.

Significance

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Transport, Mabel Sagoe, further said that the importance of air transport could not be underestimated as it facilitated international trade, connected people and strengthened socio-economic development worldwide.

“Ghana is recognised as one of the first countries in the sub-region to establish a national airline which became a symbol of our national pride and dominated the West coast routes with an impeccable record in the aviation industry.

“Unfortunately, the story is different today,” she said.