Accra, Dec. 8, GNA - Mr Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, has commended Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), on its efforts to regain the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) category One status. "As an authority required to provide regulatory oversight for the air transport industry in Ghana, the GCAA's performance over the decade has been quite commendable", he said.

Mr Hammah made the commendation during the 66th International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Day celebration in Accra. This year's celebration is on the theme: "Safe, Secure and Sustainable Aviation on our Planet."

The Day is observed annually on December 7, to raise awareness on the importance of the aviation industry, as well as the role of ICAO in the industry.

The ICAO is a UN body, responsible for maintaining international standards in order to ensure safety in aviation. He observed that air transport contributed significantly in attracting Foreign Direct Investments into the country, adding, "for us in Ghana, Civil Aviation has contributed immensely to economic growth". Mr Hammah said in the tourism sector, about 70 per cent of international tourists entered the country by air, thus promoting the tourism industry, which had also been the fastest growing sector of the economy.

He said Ghana,soon to become an oil producing nation, provided "a unique opportunity for us to expand the aviation industry, to enable us build capacity for all aviation related components of the oil industry". Mr Hammah said GCAA and Ghana Airports Company Limited were working hard to complete the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) phase III development project, which after completion would mark the achievement of the vision to launch the KIA as the air transport hub and economic gate-way to West Africa.

He noted that ICAO had indeed fulfilled its mandate to promote safe and orderly aviation globally, through the formulation of regulations and setting of standards and recommended practices for the safe and orderly conduct of civil aviation worldwide. "Sixty-six years in the life of an organisation like ICAO is a significant milestone that deserves to be celebrated with pomp and pageantry", he added.

The Director General of GCAA, Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, appealed to the Government to assist the aviation industry with financial support, which was "very much needed."

"We would need more financial support to create the appropriate capacities required to sustain and build upon existing safety and security levels", he said, adding that individuals and institutions were also most welcome to "come up with innovations to surmount our challenges." Air Commodore Mamphey said one of the major challenges of GCAA, was to build capacities in all relevant sectors, to accommodate the increasing growth rate in the aviation industry.

"Unless we are able to increase capacity to absorb the growth, we risk losing the enviable safety and security record which Ghana is noted for", he said. According to the GCAA Director General, attitudinal change was a cornerstone for improving passenger experience at KIA, saying, "the GACL and GCAA have initiated series of training programmes to achieve this objective. He said next year, there was an expected increase in aviation activities in both domestic and regional sectors so "I encourage entrepreneurs in the country and the entire region to rise up to the occasion."

In a message, President of ICAO Council, Mr Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, said the aviation industry, by its design, required that the most comprehensive and effective security systems were developed and employed. He said currently, terrorism was a global threat to the aviation industry, that required global solutions implemented in a harmonised manner. "Only by working together can the collective goal of safe, secure and sustainable aviation for our planet can be maintained", he said. 8 Dec. 10