Information gathered by Business Day indicates that Ghana may soon regain its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category-one status, which was lost a couple of years ago due to safety concerns associated with the country’s aviation industry.
The FAA Category-one status, which hitherto allowed Ghanaian registered carriers to operate flights directly between Accra and the US was revoked after the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) failed to meet the minimum safety oversight standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Sources at the GCAA told Business Day that “the US Department of Transportation is working diligently with the government of Ghana to correct flaws in the aviation sector”.
According to a source, “the whole effort at regaining the status is also tied to the resurrection of the national airline since the route has a high demand for passengers and is profitable as well”.
When lifted, the route, which is currently monopolized by Delta Airlines will serve as a strategic move to usher the defunct Ghana Airways back into operations later this year.
Already, the U.S Secretary of Transportation, Mr. Anthony Foxx is reported to have said that “progress is being made in helping Ghana regain its FAA category-one status,” adding that “We will continue working with Ghana to get there. It is a safety process and not political. We will get there”.
Mr. Foxx’s statement was followed by a major boost recently, when the European Union Commission in charge of air safety lifted a nine-year ban imposed on Ghanaian registered carriers from operating flights within the Union.
The lifting of the ban opened the door for Ghanaian-registered operators to commence flights from Accra to Europe, and in-between EU countries.
However, the GCAA, in an attempt to streamline and monitor its operation suspended the issuance of licences for offshore air operations.
The move, was further intended to encourage operators to be based in Ghana for proper supervision and ensure that they meet all the necessary safety and regulatory requirements.
Prior to this, offshore air carriers were issued licences by the GCAA and permitted to operate offshore, including the EU.
However, the GCAA’s desire to regain the FAA Category-one status has triggered a series of measures aimed at localizing operations in the aviation industry to beef up monitoring.
