Air services stable at KIA despite protests by aviation staff

The public has been assured that air services at the Kotoka International Airport will not be affected despite the protests by staff of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday, July 5, 2016.

This is the assurance of the workers’ union in the aviation industry.

Speaking to Citi Business News on the latest development, the spokesperson for the union of workers, William Amoako maintained that the move will largely affect staff of the GCAA.

“Most of the activities that we are embarking on are not going to affect the public. Most of them are going to affect individuals and our own workers here that is, contractors who are working for Civil Aviation and to a larger extent on our management,” he said.

The union is protesting against what it refers to a failure by the management of the GCAA and government to control the encroachment of lands belonging to the Civil Aviation Authority.

The move comes weeks after the Director General of the GCAA, Simon Allotey, dismissed reports that the encroachment of the lands poses a threat to air navigation within the country.

Mr. Allotey rather explained to Citi Business News that the situation has been as a result of the Authority’s lack of access to land title deeds.

GCAA risks huge judgment debts over encroachment

The workers union in the aviation industry in June this year, warned that Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, GCAA, and for that matter government risks paying huge judgement debts running into several millions of cedis if authorities fail to step in to stop an invasion of lands belonging to the Authority.

Spokesperson for the joint workers’ unions at the GCAA, William Amoako at the time also indicated that the inability of the authority to install a 600,000 Euros HF facility it purchased some months ago, will likely result in the abrogation of a contract with some foreign engineers hence the judgement debt.

“Our local engineers are supposed to mount platforms and erect certain structures before their foreign counterparts will come and mount the antennas and other infrastructure,” he stated.

GCAA dismisses reports over threat to aviation security

But in a sharp contrast, the GCAA subsequently allayed fears over a threat to security in the aviation sector.

The Director General of the Authority, Simon Allotey, attributed the takeover of parts of its lands on challenges with title deeds.

He stressed that the aviation industry is safe adding that the land issues have nothing to with air navigation.

By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana