How Safe Are Ghana’s Internal Flights

Read Comments Comments (21)

• Akadu Mensema 13 years ago

  A good reminder, but give a Ghanaian officer 10 cedis and you are free to fly your decrepit airways!

  A good reminder, but give a Ghanaian officer 10 cedis and you are free to fly your decrepit airways!

  reply
• A GERSIS 13 years ago

  GVYB TV
  
  A Gersis reporting
  
  Fellow Ghanaians
  
  Young Akpalu, I still look at you dad as one of the best brains in Ghana. Each summer as I drive to Keta(Old Jerusalem)i will look to the Lagoon-side and there is that simp ...
  read full comment

  GVYB TV
  
  A Gersis reporting
  
  Fellow Ghanaians
  
  Young Akpalu, I still look at you dad as one of the best brains in Ghana. Each summer as I drive to Keta(Old Jerusalem)i will look to the Lagoon-side and there is that simple building by the street.
  
  John, make us proud like your dad!
  
  ANTONIO GERSIS
  PLAZA ONE
  DALLAS

  reply
• Michael 13 years ago

  Thanks John for the write-up, it is a good wake-up call before the inevitable happens. I hope those who needs to hear this will read it.

  Thanks John for the write-up, it is a good wake-up call before the inevitable happens. I hope those who needs to hear this will read it.

  reply
• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self pro ...
  read full comment

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self promotion to win clients.
  
  Your concluding statement is the utmost betrayal of your dark intent here:
  
  "Day in and day out, Ghanaians are met with the inability of their government to control carnage on our roads by preventable motor vehicle accidents. We hope that the Ministry of Transportation and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority will do a better job of policing our skies"
  
  In your educated analytical mind, you already know very well about the government's incapability to regulate domestic airlines by inspection, insurance regulation and maintenance regime.
  
  If the carnage on the roadways cannot be controlled by any government intervention (and you've stated that), what makes you think the government can regulate a complicated and sophisticated operation such as running an airline?
  
  You know the government does not have the capacity to do so. It lacks the well trained personnel to carry out such duties.
  
  Instead of sounding the alarm bells you dishonestly state:
  
  "We HOPE that the Ministry of Transportation and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority WILL do a BETTER job"
  
  Has any government employee in Ghana done a better job besides taking bribe?
  
  Lawyer Akpalu, instead of waiting for disaster to obtain clients, please use your knowledge of the airline industry (which I suppose is your specialty) to advocate for stringent regulations to ensure safety. When that happens most of the domestic airlines will close operations because their profit margin will dwindle.
  
  The ones willing to follow the rules may survive by raising fares etc to meet operational costs plus insurance premiums.
  
  Please do not HOPE for any Civil Aviation Authority to do anything. They really do not care. Be a positive advocate to force them to regulate safety and enforce inspection.
  
  Please do not be passive, hoping to represent surviving passengers. For now I'll point an accusatory finger at you for masking an advertising as an article.
  
  If the authorities cannot police the roads, what makes you think they can police the skies? You know they cannot and that inability brings you more clients.
  
  Do something for Ghana.

  reply
• Falcon 13 years ago

  Mr. Mintah,
  your passion for Ghana is commendable but you would have done yourself a better service by taking time to think through your comments:
  
  1. A lawyer who depends on aviation accidents to get clients will not writ ...
  read full comment

  Mr. Mintah,
  your passion for Ghana is commendable but you would have done yourself a better service by taking time to think through your comments:
  
  1. A lawyer who depends on aviation accidents to get clients will not write about how to prevent such accidents.
  
  2. Rather than just waiting for accidents to sign up clients, did you consider that the writer, who is also a Ghanaian, may be more worried about a cousin, uncle, friend, mother, classmate, or himself getting hurt or killed on one of those flights?
  
  2. If the Ghanaian authorities are ineffective, that is a problem for all Ghanaians and not for one person. Unless one is appointed a sole commissioner and executive to reform civil aviation in Ghana, one cannot just go and start giving the Minister of Transport instructions and/or recommendations.
  
  3. You say the writer should be a public advocate to force the Ghanaian authorities to regulate safety and enforce inspection. Isn't that exactly what the writer has done by publishing this article for all Ghanaians to digest?
  
  Next time be more constructive and leave the ad hominem attacks.
  
  Again your passion and concern for Ghana is commendable.

  reply
• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  The author is being advised to send cautionary letters to the appropriate Ministry. He may or may not receive a response.
  
  That said, he would have fired the first shot to the athorities in registering his concern and perha ...
  read full comment

  The author is being advised to send cautionary letters to the appropriate Ministry. He may or may not receive a response.
  
  That said, he would have fired the first shot to the athorities in registering his concern and perhaps his intent on being a public advocated for aviation regulations and safety.
  
  By his attorney and Harvard pedigree, maybe he'll receive some good response. Most often citizens well-placed to use their expertise to right wrongs remain aloof in our Ghanaian system.
  
  Writing articles about this issue on Ghanaweb is good but the author needs to a step further towards the listening ears of the government.
  
  Get it?.

  reply
• Tokugawah 13 years ago

  Good article but will make no difference whatsoever. The regulatory infrastructure and authorities are there only in name, they do not monitor or enforce anything. Why are there 15-20 year old tro tro vehicles still operating ...
  read full comment

  Good article but will make no difference whatsoever. The regulatory infrastructure and authorities are there only in name, they do not monitor or enforce anything. Why are there 15-20 year old tro tro vehicles still operating in the country. Many of these death traps are so old and rusty and should be off the road but they pass road worthy tests and remain on the roads. It is just disgraceful but apparently many of those tro tro are owned by the police. Ownership of airlines will be with the rich and politicians and even if there were to be regulations about maximum age of aircraft to be used, we all know it will be ignored and no one will be prosecuted, courts do not work anyway. Very sad

  reply
• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self pro ...
  read full comment

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self promotion to win clients.
  
  Your concluding statement is the utmost betrayal of your dark intent here:
  
  "Day in and day out, Ghanaians are met with the inability of their government to control carnage on our roads by preventable motor vehicle accidents. We hope that the Ministry of Transportation and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority will do a better job of policing our skies"
  
  In your educated analytical mind, you already know very well about the government's incapability to regulate domestic airlines by inspection, insurance regulation and maintenance regime.
  
  If the carnage on the roadways cannot be controlled by any government intervention (and you've stated that), what makes you think the government can regulate a complicated and sophisticated operation such as running an airline?
  
  You know the government does not have the capacity to do so. It lacks the well trained personnel to carry out such duties.
  
  Instead of sounding the alarm bells you dishonestly state:
  
  "We HOPE that the Ministry of Transportation and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority WILL do a BETTER job"
  
  Has any government employee in Ghana done a better job besides taking bribe?
  
  Lawyer Akpalu, instead of waiting for disaster to obtain clients, please use your knowledge of the airline industry (which I suppose is your specialty) to advocate for stringent regulations to ensure safety. When that happens most of the domestic airlines will close operations because their profit margin will dwindle.
  
  The ones willing to follow the rules may survive by raising fares etc to meet operational costs plus insurance premiums.
  
  Please do not HOPE for any Civil Aviation Authority to do anything. They really do not care. Be a positive advocate to force them to regulate safety and enforce inspection.
  
  Please do not be passive, hoping to represent surviving passengers. For now I'll point an accusatory finger at you for masking an advertising as an article.
  
  If the authorities cannot police the roads, what makes you think they can police the skies? You know they cannot and that inability brings you more clients.
  
  Do something for Ghana.

  reply
• Tokugawah 13 years ago

  Good article but will make no difference whatsoever. The regulatory infrastructure and authorities are there only in name, they do not monitor or enforce anything. Why are there 15-20 year old tro tro vehicles still operating ...
  read full comment

  Good article but will make no difference whatsoever. The regulatory infrastructure and authorities are there only in name, they do not monitor or enforce anything. Why are there 15-20 year old tro tro vehicles still operating in the country. Many of these death traps are so old and rusty and should be off the road but they pass road worthy tests and remain on the roads. It is just disgraceful but apparently many of those tro tro are owned by the police. Ownership of airlines will be with the rich and politicians and even if there were to be regulations about maximum age of aircraft to be used, we all know it will be ignored and no one will be prosecuted, courts do not work anyway. Very sad

  reply
• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self pro ...
  read full comment

  After reading your article, I figured out your morbid eargerness to obtain more clients who survive an airline disaster.
  
  Your article isn't really a cautionary note about domestic flights but a disguised shameless self promotion to win clients.
  
  Your concluding statement is the utmost betrayal of your dark intent here:
  
  "Day in and day out, Ghanaians are met with the inability of their government to control carnage on our roads by preventable motor vehicle accidents. We hope that the Ministry of Transportation and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority will do a better job of policing our skies"
  
  In your educated analytical mind, you already know very well about the government's incapability to regulate domestic airlines by inspection, insurance regulation and maintenance regime.
  
  If the carnage on the roadways cannot be controlled by any government intervention (and you've stated that), what makes you think the government can regulate a complicated and sophisticated operation such as running an airline?
  
  You know the government does not have the capacity to do so. It lacks the well trained personnel to carry out such duties.
  
  Instead of sounding the alarm bells you dishonestly state:
  
  "We HOPE that the Ministry of Transportation and Ghana Civil Aviation Authority WILL do a BETTER job"
  
  Has any government employee in Ghana done a better job besides taking bribe?
  
  Lawyer Akpalu, instead of waiting for disaster to obtain clients, please use your knowledge of the airline industry (which I suppose is your specialty) to advocate for stringent regulations to ensure safety. When that happens most of the domestic airlines will close operations because their profit margin will dwindle.
  
  The ones willing to follow the rules may survive by raising fares etc to meet operational costs plus insurance premiums.
  
  Please do not HOPE for any Civil Aviation Authority to do anything. They really do not care. Be a positive advocate to force them to regulate safety and enforce inspection.
  
  Please do not be passive, hoping to represent surviving passengers. For now I'll point an accusatory finger at you for masking an advertising as an article.
  
  If the authorities cannot police the roads, what makes you think they can police the skies? You know they cannot and that inability brings you more clients.
  
  Do something for Ghana.

  reply
• Kwasi 13 years ago

  John, unfortunately Ghana reached a point where if you have money or can bribe an official, a decrepit aircraft can still be used in our airspace. Same goes for things that happen around. Choked gutters and we wait for rains ...
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  John, unfortunately Ghana reached a point where if you have money or can bribe an official, a decrepit aircraft can still be used in our airspace. Same goes for things that happen around. Choked gutters and we wait for rains to take people then we cry, unlicensed reckless drivers and we wait for them to kill then we cry. If we can steal votes, what cant we do, John?

  reply
• Gift 13 years ago

  Really wish the Ministry of Transportation and the Ghana Civil Aviation will seriously do a thorough check on some of the domestic flights before allowing them to fly our skies because some are not good.I have traveled severa ...
  read full comment

  Really wish the Ministry of Transportation and the Ghana Civil Aviation will seriously do a thorough check on some of the domestic flights before allowing them to fly our skies because some are not good.I have traveled severally to London and America but I traveled once by air from Takoradi to Accra and the experience was not good. The ACs in the plane were not working properly, Everyone was fanning themselves,don't know if the pilot wasn't good because the plane was going here and there,I nearly threw up and got to Accra feeling ill. Something has to be done before the worst happens. As for me; no more travelling by domestic flights.

  reply
• Chris Kwame Awuyah 13 years ago

  Thanks Mr. Akpalu:
  
  Due to deprivations, the Ghanaian has become almost expendable. Corporations are not obligated to do their utmost for the safety of Ghanaians. Imagine aircrafts that are de-commissioned in the Western Wo ...
  read full comment

  Thanks Mr. Akpalu:
  
  Due to deprivations, the Ghanaian has become almost expendable. Corporations are not obligated to do their utmost for the safety of Ghanaians. Imagine aircrafts that are de-commissioned in the Western World are put into active service in Ghana. There are penalties for importing over aged cars (cars over ten years) into the country. Where are we importing broken down and painted over flying crafts into Ghana?
  
  It is needless to talk about the proliferation of cheap and inferior Indian/Chinese products that flood our markets. Can you imagine a patient with a critical disease who takes sham pharmaceutical products imported from China, Nigeria, India and Italy?
  
  Mr. Akpalu, you are applying the law where it matters; the protection of defenseless citizens. I hope other lawyers take cue from you and specialize in this area of the law. I hope that you would take the cases of not only the well heeled clients or headline making cases, but also cases that come with slight financial compensation. Major cases invariably would enable you to support the pro bono ones. Altruism in some instances help to bring in rewarding cases in other instances.

  reply
• Nana Kofi 13 years ago

  Thanks for your article. A WORD TO THE WISE SHOULD BE A WARNING, AND WAKE US UP TO ACT! A major aircraft manufacturer identified these shortcomings in our yet to mature aviation boom. They isolated aircraft maintenance as a p ...
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  Thanks for your article. A WORD TO THE WISE SHOULD BE A WARNING, AND WAKE US UP TO ACT! A major aircraft manufacturer identified these shortcomings in our yet to mature aviation boom. They isolated aircraft maintenance as a power keg to the region's aviation safety; and teaming up with a Ghanaian owned aviation engineering company in the US and Ghana, tried to establish a regional maintenance base in Accra and subsequently in Tamale. Guess what! Government officials were only interested in bribes; and the then Ghana Airways officials didn't want to let go their lucrative kickback contracts with foreign companies to service their planes overseas.
  After 2 years of frustrations, the manufacturer packed up and went somewhere else with their $200 million investment which had been intended for Ghana. WITH EXPERT AND AFFORDABLE LOCAL MAINTENANCE REGIMEN, WE COULD BE SAVING THOSE LIVES THAT ARE UNNECESSARILY LOST IN ACCIDENTS DUE TO BAD EQUIPMENT.

  reply
• K Philly 13 years ago

  A must read for safety reasons.

  A must read for safety reasons.

  reply
• Yaw Amofa 13 years ago

  The fact that a plane is 22 or 30years does not mean it is not fit for service! Airworthiness certificates are given only by the country of manufacture of the plane, and these countries have strict rules which means all defec ...
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  The fact that a plane is 22 or 30years does not mean it is not fit for service! Airworthiness certificates are given only by the country of manufacture of the plane, and these countries have strict rules which means all defective parts must be replaced by new ones before a certificate is issued, so it makes the plane almost new all the time.

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• Billy Bones 13 years ago

  Airworthiness certificates are issued by the country where a plane is registered, not where it is manufactured! So a good inspection regime, especially for old aircraft matters a lot!

  Airworthiness certificates are issued by the country where a plane is registered, not where it is manufactured! So a good inspection regime, especially for old aircraft matters a lot!

  reply
• coal pot 13 years ago

  YES YOU'RE A PRACTICING ATTORNEY WITH OFFICES IN MARS AND JUPITER AND A HARVARD GRADUATE.CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING THE FIRST GHANAIAN TO ACHIEVE SUCH A FEAT.HOWEVER ANY LAWYER WORTH HIS SALT WOULD HAVE SEND A CAUTIONARY NOTE ...
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  YES YOU'RE A PRACTICING ATTORNEY WITH OFFICES IN MARS AND JUPITER AND A HARVARD GRADUATE.CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING THE FIRST GHANAIAN TO ACHIEVE SUCH A FEAT.HOWEVER ANY LAWYER WORTH HIS SALT WOULD HAVE SEND A CAUTIONARY NOTE TO THE GHANA AIRPORT AUTHORITY OR THE SECTOR MINISTER AND NOT GHANAWEB.

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• Billy Bones 13 years ago

  And the Sector Minister upon receiving the private note, Will ground all airplanes immediately and implement all the recommendations to keep Ghanaians safe!! Bring your head down from the clouds and stop dreaming! When was th ...
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  And the Sector Minister upon receiving the private note, Will ground all airplanes immediately and implement all the recommendations to keep Ghanaians safe!! Bring your head down from the clouds and stop dreaming! When was the last time you gave any constructive advise on any national issue. Read what the writer is saying again and learn.

  reply
• Paa Kwesi Mintah 13 years ago

  The author is being advised to send cautionary letters to the appropriate Ministry. He may or may not receive a response.
  
  That said, he would have fired the first shot to the athorities in registering his concern and perha ...
  read full comment

  The author is being advised to send cautionary letters to the appropriate Ministry. He may or may not receive a response.
  
  That said, he would have fired the first shot to the athorities in registering his concern and perhaps his intent on being an public advocated for aviation regulations and safety.
  
  By his attorney and Harvard pedigree, maybe he'll receive some good response. Most often citizens well-placed to use their expert to right wrongs remain aloof in our Ghanaian system.
  
  Writing articles about this issue on Ghanaweb is good but the author needs to a step further towards the listening ears of the government.
  
  Get your head out of your asshole.

  reply
• Jack Kodjo 13 years ago

  Mintah,
  
  The problem with Ghana is implementation, not recommendation. Don't you think the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has come up with many studies and recommendations? How many are being implemented? Sometimes ...
  read full comment

  Mintah,
  
  The problem with Ghana is implementation, not recommendation. Don't you think the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has come up with many studies and recommendations? How many are being implemented? Sometimes we even establish commissions of inquiry, but their recommendations go nowhere! We have many laws on the books in Ghana, how many are being enforced? You are indeed naive if you think that a private recommendation to the Minister of Transport will have any effect. Our Civil Aviation Regulations are hundreds of pages long. Who is enforcing them? Aviation is international business and all countries know what to do to protect their citizens. Don't tell me the Ghanaian authorities are ignorant. It is a question of carelessness, negligence, I-dont-care ism -whatever you want to call it. And mind you, this permeates all sectors of our country.

  reply