Parliament passes Air Navigation Services Agency Bill

Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday, November 4, passed the Air Navigation Services Agency Bill, creating an autonomous and independent entity out of the current Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The separation of the air navigation and regulatory functions of the GCAA is in line with international best practice in aviation and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to ensure that the GCAA does not act as an operator and regulator at the same time.

Despite the benefits and recommendations by major global agencies of aviation including ICAO, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) and Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) for the separation of the ANS function from the regulatory role of the country’s CAA, it has been on the drawing board since 2006.

Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, last Thursday moved for the Bill to be passed by Parliament and was seconded by the Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Mr. Ayeh-Paye, seconded the motion and presented the report to the House.

The third reading and the passage of the Bill was done on Tuesday, November 3, setting the final stage for the decoupling awaiting the Presidential Assent.

This move adds to Ghana’s continuous high record of improving the aviation sector reforms in line with the attainment of the President’s vision of making Ghana the aviation hub in West Africa.

It would be recalled that not too long ago, the Minister moved another motion that established an Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau, effectively taking out the Accidents Investigation function from the GCAA.

Aviation Minister, Kofi Adda, told AviationGhana that: “These are all in line with the legal and regulatory reform agenda of the government to strengthen and improve safety and security in the aviation sector.”