AWA mulls domestic route extension to Ho

The Africa World Airlines (AWA) is exploring the feasibility of extending its routes to Ho to boost connections from other parts of the country to the regional capital.

Captain Kwasi Oteng, Chief Safety Officer, who led a team to Ho told journalists, the visit was to assess the readiness of the Aerodrome for possible business expansion of the airline’s domestic routes.

He said they expected the contractor to hand-over the facility to the agencies responsible to trigger the necessary paperwork and planning for a possible start of commercial flights to and from the airport.

Capt Oteng, who did not give any timelines for the start of operations, said a final decision would be based on the technical work, including quality safety measures, length of the runway and air traffic tower control systems, among others.

He said the economic viability of the Aerodrome cannot be underestimated, saying it had lots of potentials to improve productivity and increase aviation business in the Ho hub with the prospect of attracting passengers from Lome and Benin through the corridor.

Mrs Mapeete Kouame, the First Secretary, Political, South African High Commission in Ghana, who paid an informal visit to the airport, said Ghana and South Africa have extensive relationships in many fields, including the aviation industry.

She said the South African Airline and Africa World Airlines are already into partnership and expressed the hope that the plans would be exploited to the advantage of the industry in Ho and beyond.

She said Ghana’s hosting of the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat meant that transport infrastructure needed to be expanded to boost business activities across the country, West Africa and the continent at large.

Mrs Kouame said operationalisation of the Ho Aerodrome would help deepen and drive the tourism industry in the region.

Capt Evaristus Cincin Dagbe, a pilot of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, said the second phase of the Aerodrome project, which would entail the expansion of the runaway from the present 1.6 kilometres and the installation of landing and taking off lights is expected to commence soon.

He said the eastern location of the Aerodrome was positioned for casualty and medical evacuations and security reasons.

Mrs Lucy Adzorxornu, Aviation Security, In-charge of the Aerodrome, said apart from occasional flights from the Airforce and the Ministry of Aviation, City Link, an Accra-based piloting School have been using the Aerodrome for training purposes.

Work on the Aerodrome started in 2015 to cover 1,500 acres of land with a passenger terminal and a 1,900-metre runaway was funded by the Ghana Airport Company Limited to boost economic activities and tourism.

It was constructed by Amandi Holding Limited with a 1,150 passenger waiting space, an ultramodern air bus terminal and automatic fire detection system.

Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, is the Founder and Co-Chair of AWA.