Air ticket, cargo fares increase by 30 dollars

Airline and cargo fares will shoot up from next month following new charges introduced by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The hikes follow the introduction of a safety charge, which will see airline tickets attract 10 dollars extra while cargo fares will increase by 20 dollars.

The increases are also due to the amended GCAA Act 2016, Act 906.

Citi Business News has gathered that the safety charge however will affect international and regional flights, but not domestic flights.

Justifying the need to have the safety charge, Director of Legal Service, Corporate Communications and International Relations Joyce Anakwa Thompson told Citi Business News that the GCAA needed to sustain its operations as they are no more under government subvention.

“We did indicate that the fees charged by the Authority ought to be approved by the Minister of Transport and that is what Parliament said. The safety charge is 10 dollars for the passenger for international flights and 20 dollars per ton of cargo flights.”

Joyce Anakwa Thompson added that “there is no domestic application for now. It is for all international flights where international flights include regional flights.”

The GCAA during a stakeholder's forum indicated it was likely to meet with the Board of Airlines on July 26 to discuss the said charges before it is implemented.

This comes after the Parliament last year amended sections of the existing Ghana Civil Aviation Act, 2004, (Act 678) which was assented by the President in February this year.

Meanwhile Joyce Anakwa Thompson told Citi Business News that the new Amendment Act also presents harsher punishments for infringement of the Act, or any directives or regulations set by the Director-General under the GCAA Act, with the maximum penalty units increased from 30,000 penalty units to 300,000 penalty units.

This means that those who infringe any of the provisions of the Act or Directives face fines of a maximum of GH₵ 3.6 million.

According to her, the scope of people to be licensed by the GCAA has also been expanded, under Section 235 of the new Act and this includes cabin crew, flight and ground engineers, air traffic safety and electronic personnel as well as all personnel engaged in aircraft operations and allied aviation services.

“If they do not carry licenses issued by the authority, they will not be permitted to discharge their functions” she said.

–
By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana