US to assist Ghana's aviation sector

Mr Anthony Foxx, the US Secretary of Transportation, has pledged the readiness of the United States Department of Transportation to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to the Ghana Aviation Training Academy (GATA).

He said the US Department of Transport would also collaborate with Ghana in the development of training courses, workshops, and other technical assistance.

Speaking during the signing of intent or Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Ghana, Mr Foxx said the collaboration would also involve the conduct of initial Training Needs Assessment to be performed by both Ghana and the US.

Mr Foxx and Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, signed the MOU.

“There would also be the exploration of bilateral framework for future cooperation to support the further development of GATA, based on the results of the Training Needs Assessment and GATA’s achievement of ICAO Trainair Plus Accreditation,” he said.

Mr Foxx said the assistance would help Ghana’s effort in the attainment of accreditation from the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the world body, which regulates the aviation sector.

Mrs Dzifa Attivor expressed her appreciation for the collaboration, as it would help expand GATA and make Ghana one of the top countries in Africa’s aviation sector.

The two Ministers also used the opportunity to tour the new GATA building, which is under construction and slated for completion in August, this year.

Mr Abdulai Alhassan, the Acting Director General, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, said the building was constructed at the cost of $13million.

He said the new centre would help GATA to expand its aviation training activities to people in the West African sub-region.

Mr Foxx and his 14-member delegation is on a four-nation African tour to Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Mozambique, to introduce US firms in the transportation, energy equipment and services and the agricultural equipment sectors to the Sub-Saharan Africa region.