Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has been adjudged winner of the Airports Council International (ACI) Safety Awards – Best Improvement in Safety at the prestigious ACI World Conference and Annual General Meeting held in Mauritius.

The ACI Safety Awards held this year in October, recognized the achievements of airports of different sizes across Africa and were presented to those airports that had demonstrated their commitment to providing excellence in safety and compliance practices.

A statement issued by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), the entity mandated to plan, develop, manage and maintain all airports in Ghana, said the KIA was declared “Winner” of the Best Improvement in Safety Award, following an extensive process from a number of entries received in this category.

ACI Africa, received significant interest in this award and the submissions received were of a very high standard. An assessment relating to aviation safety and airport infrastructure was evaluated based on ICAO standards, national regulations and ACI best practices.

Presenting the award, Mr Ali Tounsi, Secretary General of Airports Council International, (ACI) Africa, congratulated the GACL for the excellent achievement, noting that the GACL had “…demonstrated significant commitment towards improving its safety standards by adopting a positive response to the recommendations made following the Airport Excellence (APEX) review”.

In 2015, the GACL subjected Kotoka International Airport to an APEX review programme in pursuit of promoting safer airport operations, by combining the mandate for regulatory compliance with day-to-day operational needs to maximize operational efficiency. This was done through cooperation with Airports Council International (ACI), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), aviation stakeholders and benchmarking airports worldwide.

Receiving the award, Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, Board Chairperson of the GACL, stated: “the award could not have come at a better time than this, as GACL, celebrates its 10th anniversary. We further dedicate ourselves to promoting a culture of continuous improvement in safety as a matter of gaining competitive advantage and optimising operational excellence.”