Government has re-affirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) becomes an aviation hub within the sub-region.

“The government of Ghana would continue to support the KIA with a State of the Art equipment to improve airport operations and excellent safety and security.”

Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport, said this on Wednesday, when she formally opened the fifth International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Associations (IFATSEA), in Accra.

Themed, “Air Traffic Safety Electronics Personnel Training, Certification and Licensing, panacea in maintaining highest aviation safety standards,” the four day workshop, seeks to come up with recommendations that would immensely improve safety and security in the aviation industry.

She said whilst the Aviation industry in Africa was rapidly growing, “there is the need to ensure that we meet global standards”.

The minister said this could be achieved mainly, through the training of personnel, and the use of standard equipment.

She said it was important to keep abreast with changing trends in the aviation industry globally, which was characterized by rapidly changing technology.

The Minister expressed the hope that the conference would come out with a communiqué, which when adopted, would greatly advance safety and security in the aviation industry.

The Acting Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Mr. Abdulai Alhassan, said air traffic safety electronics personnel, played a crucial role in the aviation industry.

He commended the Ghana Air Traffic Safety Electronics Association (GHATSEA), saying that, “as a result of their dedication and hard work, we have excellent safety at our airports and in our skies.”

“The GCAA would continue to build your capacity to make you competitive in global aviation.”

In a speech read on his behalf, Mr. Charles Asare, Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Ltd (GACL, said the KIA, was rapidly growing in aircraft and passenger throughput.

“Scheduled and non-scheduled flights rose from 15 at the turn of the millennium to 45 presently,” he said, adding that, passenger throughput also rose from 900,000 in 2007 “to over 2,000,000 currently.”

Mr. Asare said there was the need to cope with such developments, without compromising security and safety.

“The use of technology is one means by which safety could be ensured,” he said, adding that, the KIA and regional airports were currently using State of the Art screening systems as well as ground communication systems, which were at the core of aviation safety.

“The GACL also plans to acquire advanced digital ground communications systems, for improved airport safety and security,” Mr. Asare said.

The workshop is being attended by participants from Ghana Nigeria, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

It is being sponsored by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, The Ghana Airports Company Ltd, COMSOFT, Indra, ERA, THALES, Cofely Ineo, the Aviation Social Center and Air Ghana.