US$887m needed to upgrade domestic airports

All domestic airports are to be upgraded to international airports in the short-term to meet the growing demand in the wake of the oil discovery and anticipated tourism development. The project is estimated to cost US$887million.

“Some of these airports will be rehabilitated and others upgraded to international standards, especially for air traffic as we anticipate a buoyant economy in the wake of our oil find and a boost in tourism development,” Mrs. Doreen Owusu-Fianko, managing director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, made these known in Accra at a stakeholder conference which brought together boards of airline representatives, senior executives, agents and customers of airlines in the country.

Mrs. Owusu-Fianko disclosed that completion of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) phase-three rehabilitation project estimated at US$51 million is on course.

The project, which is aimed at improving the quality of service in the very short-term at KIA, will cover all essential airside infrastructure and cargo facilitation equipment, reconstruction of the taxiway pavements, rehabilitation and construction of Apron pavements, installation of aeronautical ground-lighting systems and construction of new fire station, as well as rehabilitation of airside access roads.

Under the US$100 million KIA Phase 11 development project completed in 2005, the following expansion projects were undertaken: the runway capacity was significantly extended by over 400 metres, a dedicated cargo apron and additional passenger apron have been constructed and ultra-modern communication, navigation and surveillance equipment installed.

Mrs.Owusu-Fianko observed that the aviation industry in Ghana has enjoyed steady, if not phenomenal, growth in recent years and this has been made possible as a result of the stable political, social and economic climate that the country is enjoying. It is also as a result of the liberalisation of the regulatory framework in which the industry operates.

“Ghana has an open skies policy, and this liberalisation is in conformity with world trends and the Yamoussoukro Decision of 2000 - of which Ghana is not only a signatory but a firm advocate.”

The industry projected an estimated annual growth of five percent, with an aircraft movement expected to grow from 24,043 in 2009 to 29,224 in 2010.

Closely related to that is passenger growth, expected to increase by six percent from 1,430,143 in 2009 to 1,738,348 in 2014.

“At an estimated annual growth rate of six percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the aviation industry in the country remains very significant in the national development equation, making it imperative for us all as stakeholders to strive hard to sustain the momentum.

“The number of scheduled airlines operating to and from Ghana has increased from 13 in the 1990s to 28 in recent years, while some of the airlines already operating into Ghana are requesting for increased frequencies.

“The industry has also made highly impressive strides to ensure conformity with international Civil Aviation Organisation standards and in pursuance of our vision of making Ghana the gateway to the West African sub-region.”

Mr. Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, indicated that the country’s aviation industry stands out as one of the fastest-growing and most competitive in the West African sub-region.

Government has over the past years invested heavily in building a formidable civil aviation infrastructure, acquisition of equipment as well as training of personnel to meet world-class standards, he stated.

“In our efforts to infuse dynamism into the air travel industry, the Ministry, through the Civil Aviation Authority, is constantly reviewing our Bilateral Air Service Agreements with our trading partners to ensure that demands of the various players in the industry are taken care of.

“This has, in some cases, led to an increase in frequencies of some of the carriers here present and also created opportunity for others to commence operations into the country,” Mr. Hammah noted.