Minister meets airline operators

Minister of Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, has held his first meeting with key operators in the country’s aviation industry since assuming office recently.

Mr. Adda met the operators to obtain first-hand information about their challenges.

Airlines represented at the meeting held at the conference room of the Aviation Ministry included Air Cote d’Ivoire, Royal Air Maroc, South African Airways, Air France, among others.

The minister seized the opportunity to appeal to the operators to make their views on import duties, spare parts, taxes and fuel prices known to him.

He said the industry would improve if information is disseminated freely between the ministry and the airlines, urging the players to see him as their mouthpiece to Cabinet and the government in general.

Mr Adda stressed that he could only succeed in forwarding their concerns to President Akufo-Addo if they provide detailed and accurate information about happenings in the industry.

Mr. Adda also appealed to the operators to pay attention to issues on quality customer service and air passenger safety and rights.

According to him, government shall at all times be concerned about passengers, their safety and the respect they get from the service providers.

He stressed that “we should together represent the people in a very effective way, we should speak with one voice.”

Mr. Adda also called for healthy competition among the airline operators, appealing to the domestic airlines to consider the Ho and Tamale Airports in their operations.

The minister reiterated government’s preparedness to assist airline operators to help achieve the vision of President Akufo-Addo to make Ghana the aviation hub of the country.

He, however, admonished them to ensure the effective dissemination of information to help the state meet their needs.

Gloria Wilkinson Mensah, chairperson of the Board of Airlines, a group made up of commercial and general managers of the various airlines operating in Ghana, lauded the minister for interacting with them.

Ms. Mensah, who doubles as Country Manager of South African Airways, on behalf of the Board, pledged to provide Mr. Adda with the necessary information about happenings in the industry.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, she stated that the new Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has the potential of making Ghana the aviation hub in West Africa.