Alhaji Banda goes wild over airport closures

Alhaji Asuma Banda, Chairman of Antrak Air Ghana, has invited international aviation inspectors to come into the country and offer their expert opinion on what is causing the damage on the Kumasi Airport runway.

Alhaji Banda, who is not happy with three closures of the Kumasi Airport runway, something which did not happen over the previous years of operations at Kumasi, since the problems at Kumasi would soon surface at other domestic airports sooner or later.

To save the situation, he has invited inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States of America and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at his own expense to look at what is causing the problem.

According to him, the heavy jets with Aircraft Classification Number (ACN) over and above the Kumasi runway's Pavement Classification Number (PCN) of 15 are the ones damaging the runway.

“It is important for the public to note that active runway has been shortened this week for two days to allow further repairs, resulting in fewer seats available for the travelling public,” he said.

“We wrote to the Civil Aviation Authority on October 4, 2012 requesting that they immediately restrict operation by heavy jets onto domestic runways pavements that were not built to support such weight of aircraft,” he said.

He further said: “In spite of the safety issues, severe inconveniences and serious economic damage caused by the repeated closures, they replied only on October 16, 2012 that they are 'studying issues' raised in our letter and will 'revert in due course'”.

Alhaji Banda said: “The safety and convenience of the travelling public is the issue here and cannot be the subject of long drawn of review.”

“If I am wrong then the costs will be for my account. But if I am right and it is the heavy jets that are causing the damage, I will take appropriate actions against the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for commercial losses arising from the repeated closures as well as all costs associated with bringing the inspectors from the USA,” he warned.

According to the business mogul, who is also a member of the Council of State, he does not have anything against anybody but “I want the right thing to be done”.

“Even if I am not running an airline, I will not sit down as a statesman for such a thing to happen in this country,” he added.

Alhaji Banda said: “Some heads must roll if what I am saying is the truth and I know it is the truth.”

“Under the NDC one administration, the Americans were made to take control of the aviation management and that made Ghana to be recognized as 'Category One' country and I will welcome that thing today,” he added.