President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commended Goldstar Air, a privately owned Ghanaian airline, on how far it had reached in its efforts to operate air services.

“Let me take this opportunity on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo to congratulate Goldstar Airline for how far the airline has come in its quest to operate air services to and from Ghana,” Aviation Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, said at the inauguration of a new head office building of the airline, at Ashalley Botwe, Accra.

Mr Ellis Hugh-Tamakloe, Chief Planning Officer of the Ministry of Aviation, read the Aviation Minister’s speech.

The airline last December acquired the Air Carrier License, and processes to acquire the Air Operators License (ACL) have gone very far.

It has also completed training for its cabin attendants, and intends to provide Ghanaian dishes on board with the intention of establishing a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Centre to help maintain aircraft both in Ghana, the sub-region and beyond.

“I must say that this fits perfectly into our aviation development agenda and collaboration with the private sector.

“It therefore comes as no surprise that as part of its preparations, the airline has put up this structure we are all currently viewing and about to open to enable them conduct their operations professionally,” Madam Dapaah said.

She indentified aviation as a “catalyst for the socio-economic development for many countries, and a sector that contributed immensely to employment generation and wealth creation.

“It is in the light of the above that H E... Akufo Addo sees the Aviation Sector as a key in the NPP Government’s agenda for change and hence established a complete Ministry to focus on the strategic development of the sector,” the Minister said.

She reiterated the policy of the Government of Ghana to develop Ghana as a hub for international and regional operations by working with private sector, adding that in the area of security and safety, “Government policy is to build capacity in the industry and also put in place all measures to ensure the sustenance of high safety and security standards.”

Madam Dapaah assured operators in the aviation industry that the Government would support and encourage local airlines and entrepreneurs to set up strong private airlines that could fully utilise all of the nation’s route rights, most of which were dormant thereby giving a “form of operational monopoly for foreign carriers on those routes.

“The Government is also poised to establish a national airline with private sector participation to support our policy of making KIA an aviation hub in the region,” Madam Dapaah assured.

The Aviation Minister urged the airline to speed up processes to see “aircraft in the skies” and take off existing best practices in the sector.

Mr Eric Bannerman, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Goldstar Air announced that the company would be operating scheduled and non-scheduled flights from Accra to 11 destinations, namely London, Dubai, Guangzhou, Lagos, Monrovia, Dakar, Banjul, Conakry, Freetown, Abidjan, Baltimore and Washington.

He said the airline had made adequate preparations for takeoff during 2017 summer and would rely mainly on Ghanaians, meaning that it would create about 5,000 direct and indirect jobs when the airline commences its operations fully.

Nii Amasa Asuku II, the Chief of Mamprobi and Head of Nii Tetteh Gbeshi Family in Accra, who chaired the inauguration, praised the location of the office, explaining it would allow the airline to monitor flights in the air.

Mr Bannerman, together with Madam Christiana Quartey, and other dignitaries joined hands in cutting the sod to inaugurate the building.