The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority,GCAA, has assured stakeholders in the aviation industry as well as all airlines that the protests by the staff union will not affect services.
The authority maintains it is putting in place all necessary measures to ensure that air transport services are not interrupted in the process.
“Let me assure you the airlines, the aviation community in general; all stakeholders and the general public that the reduction of services as pertains now will not affect flights overflying Ghana’s airspace including the oceanic region which we call Accra FRI…The Authority will continue to provide air navigation services in line with its mandate given by the government and the international civil aviation organization,” Director General of the GCAA, Simon Allotey stated.
His comment follows threats by staff of the aviation industry to withdraw services at the airport which will see the grounding of domestic air travels.
The union have since today (Tuesday) suspended some services which they contend will largely affect staff and some contractors to the GCAA.
The spokesperson for the workers, William Amoa told Citi Business News,
“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.”
The workers have been protesting what they describe as the failure of management to control the invasion of the aviation lands.
They fear the situation if unresolved, will result in the GCAA and for that matter government paying huge judgement debts following the Authority’s failure to install a 600,000 Euros HF facility purchased some months ago.
Commenting on efforts made to bring an end to the situation, Mr. Allotey added that management and key government agencies are working hard to resolve all outstanding issues to make sure lands are taken over by the GCAA.
“The Management of the Authority and the Ministry of Transport are liaising with the relevant departments to have lands restored to the GCAA. Management is also engaging with the workers and we have appealed to them to exercise constraint,” he observed.
The GCAA boss added, “The availability of lands for the installation of our HF equipment is key to us and we are working with all agencies to have it resolved as quickly as possible. But in the meantime we have an obligation to the aviation authority and the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, who gave us the mandate to run this airspace … flights will continue to operate to and from Ghana.”
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By: Norvan Acquah- Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
