Govt would help rehabilitate Ghana Airways - JAK

Accra, March 1, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor, on Monday said government would continue to seek ways of revamping Ghana Airways to turn around its fortunes.

"Despite the seemingly financial, technical and management problems that have beset Ghana Airways for the past 10 years, the Government will not give up on it."

The President said this when he inaugurated the Ghana Aerospace and Aeronautics Society (GAAS) at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The President noted that due to the potentials of the Airline especially the profitability of its routes, the Government was stepping up its search for a strategic partner to improve the Airline's performance.

Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Roads and Transport, called for circumspection in media reportage on the National Airline in order not to jeopardise the fortunes of the search for a strategic partner.

"Media houses continue to publish unverified facts about the National Airline. That negative reportage let to the abrogation of negotiations with the Nation-wide Airlines' intended contract."

He announced that the Ghana Airways Board had submitted evaluated proposals of four strategic partners for Government's consideration. These groups, he said, are the Consortium of KIA, KLM and Fidelity, Ghana International Partners, Ghana Air Partners and Solution Incorporators.

Captain Joe Boachie, Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said Authority's Board was in the process of approving 20,000 dollars grant to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to train aeronautic engineers.

"The Aerospace industries is growing at a tremendous rate and there is, therefore, the need for well trained personnel to ensure the success of the aviation industry particularly in Africa."

Capt. Boachie said the cost of training aerospace personnel was very high and the Government alone could not afford it and, asked other institutions to assist.

He congratulated KNUST for introducing aerospace engineering in its curricular.