Ghanair Pilots Rap Management

Ripples from a June 19 Ghana Airways pilots strike are still being felt at the troubled airline, as accusations and counter accusations rage between the pilots and management.

A letter dated June 19, 2002, from Ghana Airline Pilots Association (GALPA) to the Honourable Minister of Roads and Transport, enumerated gross incompetence in the present management team, obvious disregard of the board by management, arrogance and autocratic management style leading to a total breakdown in communication between the management and the pilots association.

The letter signed by Captain S. Thompson, president of GALPA, also referred to total disregard of the interests and wellbeing of the staff and the airline, management practices in flight operations and total misrepresentation of facts at Ghana Airways to the public.

The pilots called for the removal of two management task forces led by Captains Kwakwa and Foli, even though no financial impropriety has been levelled against them.

Although the pilots accused the present management team of gross incompetence, insiders say this is a blanket indictment that cannot be substantiated.

Ghana Airways management sources told Chronicle that the pilots were generally unhappy at the reluctance of the management team to reinstate some fringe benefits.

Some of the pilots named as being ringleaders are said to be inciting their colleagues to strike in order to cover up for their deeds that are crippling the national airline.

Classic examples are the purchases of three old DC 9 aircraft, of which only one is operating, and the leasing of a DC 9 from South Africa at great cost.

There is also an allegation of Captain Paul Fordjour approving the lease of an old DC 10 for which so much money was paid to the owner, SKY JET, out of which contract the owner purchased two new aircraft.

Another report was on the pivotal role being played by a senior pilot who is allegedly championing the cause of T&E Aviation of Beirut, Lebanon to become a strategic partner of Ghana Airways.

The said pilot is said to have been promised the position of Director of Operations, if T&E Aviation (SARL) of Beirut gets through.

They are currently joint partners in Ghanair's operations to Beirut and Johannesburg.

The other prospective partner, A. G. Of Switzerland (Triaton), is a consortium formed mainly by ex-Swissair management personnel based in Switzerland.

According to the sources, pilots earn as much as $5,000 (?40 million) as take home pay, excluding $700 (?4.9 million) tax-free allowances for a return trip to South Africa considered by pilots as "World Bank Route."

The pilots have also been accused of filling the aircraft's baggage compartments with their commercial cargoes before paid passengers are given the chance, leading to leftover baggage.

Meanwhile, Chronicle's attempt to reach Captain Paul Fordjour, said to be the ring leader, yielded no fruit but a source close to him hinted that most of the allegations are baseless.

On the issue of three DC 9 aircraft purchased, and only one is operational, the source, an insider, said that the claim is false.

According to him, the Ghana Airways purchased the three, one is presently in operation, another was involved in an accident in Conakry, Guinea.

The insurance company paid Ghana Airways $5 million, and the national airline turned round and purchased the damaged plane at $750,000 (?4.250 billion).

The third one, he said, is in Napoli, Italy awaiting routine maintenance costing about $300,000 for which fund management is looking up to government to bail it out, but which is not forthcoming.

According to the source, who pleaded anonymity, the pilots' strike has no link to the drunkenness by two pilots which he confirmed is under investigation.

As regards the huge salaries enjoyed by Ghanair pilots, he laughed and said that the highest take home pay of a senior pilot is in the region of ?20 million and even only two or three pilots are in this bracket.

According to him, the pilots' grumblings all began when Asoma Banda leading T&E Aviation of Beirut, who are vying for partnership in Ghana Airways, made it point blank that if his team is considered they are going to sack the present management for incompetence.

As a result management is frustrating T&E Aviation who they say have an Arab background which would impede Ghanair flights to the United States (US) because of the September 11, 2002 disaster.

He queried, "What happens to Egypt Air, Middle East Airlines (MEA) still flying to the US.

Still furious, he stated that the pilots first decided to wait and see if their colleagues, politically lifted to manage them, could perform but now that the whole airline is grinding to a halt, the pilots decided to fight for their future.