GCAA to install HF facility end of August

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has revealed that installation process for the HF facility at the Kotoka International Airport will be completed by the end of August this year.

This follows an agreement with the staff of the GCAA early this month after a row regarding the encroachment of aviation lands.

The workers argued among other things that the authority will be hit with a number of judgment debts if it fails to install the facility.

They explained that the encroachment was a threat to air safety and navigation.

But speaking to Citi Business News on the latest development, the Director General of the GCAA, Simon Allotey said the engineers have commenced work and he is hopeful the installation will be completed by the end of next month.

“We have started the site preparation and we have invited the suppliers of the equipment who are from Belgium to come to Accra to conduct the installation once the civil works are completed. We are hoping that by the end of next month, once the installations are completed, the new radio systems would have been installed, commissioned and put into operational use,” he stated.

The workers, last month, raised numerous concerns on air safety at the airport following the obstructions posed by the encroachers.

They indicated that lands belonging to the GCAA have been encroached on due to the failure by successive governments to control the invasion.

The tussle lasted for almost a month until government intervened to cede 150 acres out of the total of 640 acres of land belonging to the GCAA.

GCAA to secure new lands for new airport
Simon Allotey however told Citi Business News the Authority intends to secure new lands close to the site earmarked for the country's new airport.

“We are looking at acquiring more lands around Prampram for future development of aviation infrastructural facilities. It is on the drawing board to have a new airport in Accra around Prampram than the East area. It will be prudent and advantageous to have land not too far from the new airport which could then serve the KIA and the new airport.”

Obstruction challenges to air navigation
The three day conference brings together member states of the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organization (BAGASOO), to examine emerging strategies that will ensure effective land use planning around airports.

The organization was formed in 2009 upon the coming together of ministers of aviation of the member states.

Some of the obstacles identified by the organization are human factors including all the deliberate or inadvertent actions and activities of man including pilot error.

Also, the inappropriate installations or siting of masts and towers and high rise buildings pose a direct hazard to aviation or may also result in interference to aircraft and other air navigation communications.

Yet others include; encroachment of airport lands and insanitary activities resulting in garbage or pools of water in the vicinity of an airport which could certainly attract birds and wildlife and pose the risk of bird-strikes and other possible accidents.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana