Government To Set Up New National Airline

The government has engaged a transaction adviser to help set up a new international airline on a public/private partnership(PPP) basis for the country. The Minister of Transport, Mrs. Dzifa Aku Attivor, announced this when her ministry took its turn at the meet-the-press series in Accra yesterday. She said the Ministry was currently collaborating with the Ministry of Finance for the smooth implementation of the Project. This is part of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) 2012 manifesto to begin process towards the incorporation of a new national carrier in collaboration with the private sector. She however noted that the ministry is currently undertaking a number of programmes and projects which includes the Kotoka International Airport [KIA] Terminal building expansion and the building of the New Terminal 3 building under the Aviation sub-sector. Mrs. Dzifa Ativor further stressed that the expansion and refurbishment of the arrival hall of the KIA which started in June 2014 would be expected to be completed in December this year. Ghana International Airlines [GIA] was the airline of the nation. The airline after functioning for several years suspended operations on 13 May 2010 till date. The airline was set up in 2004 as a partnership between the government of Ghana and a group of private international investors. Ghana Airways as it was formerly called commenced operations on 29 October 2005 with daily flights between Accra and London Gatwick Airport using a Boeing 757 wet leased from Ryan International Airlines. The airline commenced seasonal service to OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2006. Flights to D�sseldorf, Germany, began in 2008. However, on 28 January 2009, the airlines flying from Accra, Ghana, to London Gatwick, United Kingdom, with 96 passengers and nine [9] crew reported anomalies with the control systems when jetting out of Accra. The aircraft made a safe return to Kotoka International Airport where the remains of a beetle-like creature were discovered to be obstructing the left pilot system. Currently the airline has been transformed into a restaurant for commercial use at the Airport City, Accra.