Ghana’s aviation sector continues to attract more foreign interest, with increasing interest from countries across the world seeking to have directs flights into and out of the country.
Last year, government through the Ministry of Aviation signed various aviation-related deals with Canada, Rwanda, Seychelles, Jamaica, Namibia and Guyana as it seeks to open more air routes and create opportunities for investment, trade, and tourism. Mexico has also begun processes to have a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Ghana.
Tunisia has become the latest country seeking to have direct flights between it and Ghana.
Currently, due to the lack of direct flights between Ghana and Tunisia, it would take any traveler about 10 hours to fly between the two countries due to the transit system. However, a direct flight should only take about four hours.
The Agreements with these countries will further position Ghana as the aviation hub of the West Africa sub-region as envisaged by the government as well as maximizing the use of the huge investment in on-ground aviation infrastructure.
In a meeting with the Minister for Aviation, Joseph Kofi Adda, the Head of the Tunisian Delegation and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of economic diplomacy, Hatem Ferjani said “we want to boost our commercial exchange and promote our bilateral cooperation.”
Since Tunisia enjoys the status of observer member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a Tunisian trade delegation of 30 companies are in Ghana to explore business opportunities in the country.
The members of the delegation have expertise in the oil and gas industries, infrastructure, agribusiness, metal industry, renewable energy, ICT, transportation equipment and will explore trade partnerships.
The Minister advised that Tunisia should be able to sign onto the Single Air Agreement Transport Market (SAATM), an initiative that seeks to deregulate the aviation sector across the African continent.
According to the regulator of aviation sector, it should take two months for Tunisia to finalize the start of the process to have the direct flights.
Tunisair
The national carrier for Tunisia, Tunisair, reported an improvement in its activity indicators during the month of December 2018. The passenger traffic for December 2018 recorded a 2.8 percent increase over the same month in 2017.
The airline announced that passenger traffic had risen by five percent in November 2018.
By Joshua W. Amlanu
