GCAA strike leaves passengers stranded at various airports

Hundreds of domestic airline passengers were left stranded at the various airports in Ghana following the cancellation of flights within the country due to the strike by workers of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The strike which took effect from Saturday July 9 followed a decision by the workers who have cried foul over the sale and encroachment of airport lands especially at Ghana’s only international airport – Kotoka International Airport.

Some stranded passengers at the Kumasi Airport had to resort to traveling by road only after finding out that a strike had led to the cancellation of flights. Similar incidents were reported from other parts of the country.

Tamale airport, Sunyani airport all had livid passengers who were disappointed at the last minute news of the cancellation. “The authorities should have announced that they will cancel the flights… Look at us now… How do they expect me to go to Accra?

I’m supposed to catch another flight out of the country, what do I do now?…” asked one frustrated passenger. Another said “this is not good for the country.

How can you say you have cancelled flights only for passengers to hear of it when they arrive at the airport?

How then do we want the industry to grow?” It is unknown how long the strike would last but the GCAA workers have indicated that they would continue to lay down their tools until something concrete is done about the over 640 acres of airports which is being encroached upon by government and private developers.

Boost for road transport: The cancellation of flights at the various airports has seen an exponential jump in patronage of bus transport to and from the major cities where these airlines operate. A visit to the bus terminals in Kumasi for instance showed a very busy scene with some workers at these terminals expressing ‘pleasant surprise’ at the sudden turn of events.

Some of them said as of 10am Saturday, about 6 buses full of passengers had left heading to various destinations especially Accra, which is different from the norm of about 3 buses by the same time.