Moves towards improving aviation safety in Ghana announced

Accra, Jan 26, GNA - Mr. Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, on Monday said Ghana was working closely with the United States (US) Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), to resolve all deficiencies in safety and security oversight in this country's aviation industry.

He said this serves: "As a precursor to the FAA Category 1 Audit, which would subsequently lead to the country's quest for the restoration of Ghana from FAA category 2 to category 1."

Mr Hammah was speaking at the 9th Co-operative Development and Operational Safety and Continuing Airworthiness Programme steering committee, and the eleventh plenary of the Banjul Accord Group, in Accra. He said the government was committed to ensuring that Ghana was seen as a shining example of first class aviation safety and security. Mr Hammah observed that aviation activity was gradually rising in line with the oil and gas discovery in the country.

He said: "The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority's (GCAA) efforts to implement the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Federal Aviation Authority Category 1 action plan could not have come at a better time".

He extended the government of Ghana's gratitude to the government of the US, the FAA and Safe Skies Project for their support. Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, Director General of the GCAA, noted that at the present stage of the aviation industry, the West African sub-region needed to have a strong voice in maters relating to aviation safety and security.

He said this could not be achieved on a silver platter and that "We as a regional body need to work at it, and as a strong regional grouping, to ensure first, that our collective airspace s noted for safety and admirable security."