The Minister for Aviation,Joseph Adda has revealed that Ghana’s home-based carrier will start its operations with at least four aircraft.
Adda made this known in an interview at the 74th ICAO Day Celebration on Thursday in Accra, after confirming that government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ethiopian Airlines.
The MoU serves as the first step in establishing the new home-based carrier.
Ghana has been without a national airline since 2010 when the successor to Ghana Airways, Ghana International Airlines, GIA, ceased operations due to its high indebtedness.
Under the new agreement,Ethiopian Airlines is expected to hold a less than 50 percent stake in the carrier.In addition, they will bring on board the aircraft as well as management services, due to their experience in this field.
Of the remaining stake, government will have a 10 percent share, while the rest of the equity stake will be held by Ghanaian investors.
The Minister noted that further stakeholder meetings will takes from next week to engage other Ghanaian investors that have interest in buying shares of the Carrier.
Some indigenous investors that have expressed interest in investing in the proposed home-based carrier include Goil, Teachers Fund, GLICO, and Africa World Airlines (AWA).
The home-based carrier is expected to help the country derive maximum benefits from the African aviation sector which currently supports 6.8 million jobs and contributes US$72.5 billion to GDP in Africa.
This carrier is likely to develop new routes using government’s policies as the guideline.
ICAO Day
In 1996, pursuant to an ICAO initiative and with the assistance of the Canadian Government, the United Nations General Assembly officially recognized December 7, as International Civil Aviation Day in the UN system.
This year’s 74th ICAO Day Celebration, wass on the theme “Working Together to Ensure No Country is Left Behind.”
The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of ICAO in helping realize a global rapid transit network.
By Joshua W. Amlanu
