GCAA conscious of its responsibilities to ensure safety

Accra, Dec. 12, GNA - The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) says it is conscious of its safety responsibilities and would, therefore, not compromise on the quality of its personnel, equipment and plant. Mr Simon Allotey, Acting Director General (Technical) GCAA, told journalists in an interview after opening this years' Electronic Day Symposium organized by the Ghana Air Traffic Electronic Association (GHATCEA) in Accra on Monday. He said GCAA had, therefore, been training its staff regularly; secured state of the art air navigational and surveillance equipment and had been rehabilitating the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in a bid to ensure safety in the air and on the ground.

Mr Edward Akohene, Director of Safety Regulations of GCAA, said as part of the authorities plan to keep pace with safety measures all Ghanaian registered airlines were going through re-certification based on the new (GCAA) Act 678 of 2004 and the new Civil Aviation Regulation of 2005. He said this was to ensure that the airlines complied with safety regulations required of them. Mr Akohene said GCAA was sending safety inspectors to discuss with its Nigerian counterparts the immediate cause of the recent crash of a DC 9 aircraft operated by Sosoliso Airline in which over 100 passengers died.

While in Nigeria the safety inspectors would also discuss with the investigative team of the Bellview Boeing 737 aircraft that crashed enroute from Lagos to Port Harcourt. Stakeholders in the aviation industry as well as the Senior Management of GCAA attended the symposium, which was under the theme: "Air Traffic System - Air Traffic Safety, Electronic Personnel Factor." Mr Nii Adu-Mansa Baddoo, Acting Director General of GCAA, observed that the vital role of electronic personnel, which was to install operate and maintain equipment went unappreciated because they worked behind the scene. He said GHATCEA must be given the needed equipment required to ensure that the corporate vision of safety was achieved.

Mr Rex Appiah, President of GHATCEA, reiterated that the development and motivation of the human resource was crucial to the growth and sustenance of any industry. He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to make more resources available to the development of the electronic sector for the good running of the aviation industry.