Government celebrates youngest Ghanaian female pilot

Kofi Adda (2nd left) in a group photo with Ms Swatson and other members of the Ministry of Aviation

A young Female pilot, Ms. Audrey Esi Swatson has been celebrated by the Ministry of Aviation.

This move is to encourage young Ghanaians especially females to develop an interest in taking up various careers in the Aviation Sector.

The Minister, Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda at a Press briefing in Accra yesterday in honour of the youngest Pilot, noted that there are more opportunities for about 500,000 pilots globally.

He, therefore, made an appeal to the youth to attain training to fill up this gap within the West African Sub- Region.

He said he was pleased that Ms. Swatson had charted a course for the upcoming youth in the country, and this has broken the notion that certain jobs are the preserve of men.

“We commend you strongly for what you have done. It is very good for us here in Ghana especially those of us in aviation. What is most important for us is that you have shown the way about women flying aircraft,” Mr. Adda asserted.

The Minster further reiterated the government’s commitment to making the country an aviation hub for the whole West African Sub-region.

According to him, the Ministry is holding talks with various stakeholders and investors in the sector to roll out plans to expand current facilities at the airport and establish a repair and overhaul facility which is currently lacking in the West African Sub-region.

The expansion project is expected to create jobs for youths who wish to take up various careers in the sector with other services such as security services, vendors and various construction works in relation to the sector.

The 21-year-old, Ms. Swatson expressed gratitude to the Ministry and other stakeholders who have contributed to the achievement of her goals

She appreciated the Ministry’s gesture in recognising her efforts and wished that more should be done to support and encourage other female colleagues who are interested in pursuing courses in the aviation industry.

She said that even though the journey towards achieving her goal has not been easy, she was able to sail through with determination and support from her parents.