Private-public partnership needed to operationalize Ho Airport

Sustained private-public sector partnership is needed to actualize the operation of the Ho Airport, Mr. Alexander Kwame Nketia, Volta Regional Director of the Ghana Tourism Authority, has said.

He said as part of the larger plans for 2021 by the Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to operationalize the Ho Airport for commercial activities.

He told the Ghana News Agency that a technical committee was exploring measures for a rapid take-off of the Airport with a promotional one-way fare pegged at GHC99.00 with the Africa World Airline (AWA).

AWA will provide twice-per-week flight services, which is expected to start in April.

Mr. Nketia said a proposal of Fridays and Sundays was being considered and the time schedules would be communicated at the appropriate time.

He urged the private sector to take absolute advantage of the situation as the services sector comes with running the airline business across the world.

He said shuttle and car rental services were crucial and appealed to the transport unions and the hospitality entities to position themselves to do business with the GTA and the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), the accredited state institutions mandated to superintend over the industry.

The Regional Director said as part of its strategies, the GTA was developing sustainable packages or products that could meet the financial needs of the various clients.

Head of Business Development Services of the GACL, Madam Amma Faake Gadzekpo said at a recent stakeholders engagement in Ho that the facility was ready and that the Company was looking for the “right opportunity and timing to make it happen.”

She said an increase in tourism and business activities in the region were likely to make the Ho route one of the best in the country.

She said the route development strategy hinged on the collaborative effort of stakeholders, including the tourism authority, the flight operators, and the hospitality industry.

Madam Gadzekpo noted that ease of travel, seamless operationalization, and affordability remained the key factors to developing the route, and asked stakeholders to help develop and market affordable packages.

“The idea is for us to truly work together and harness the potentials together,” she stated.

Mr. Ade Dayo, Head of Marketing at AWA, said the Airline was a partner to many international flight operators and touted the possibility of easing international flights to Ho.