Two local investors join race for Ghana’s home-based carrier

Two domestic investors have made presentations to the committee mandated to receive and peruse various proposals aimed at partnering government to establish a new home-based carrier for Ghana.

This brings to four the number of firm proposals under consideration by the committee which operates under the Ministry of Transport.

EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines’ proposals are the other two under consideration.

AviationGhana sources say the two local investors have deep pockets and have business interests in real estate, hospitality, media, and manufacturing and collectively employ hundreds of people.

One of the domestic investors has gone a step further in obtaining an Air Carrier License (ACL) and is pushing to meet all requirements for the granting of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

The two certificates are required by the sector regulator, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), to operate as an airline in Ghana.

The other local investor, AviationGhana sources say, has all the means to complete the ACL and AOC processes and has shown proof of funds.

The Committee, chaired by astute aviation sector policy professional, Mr. Twumasi Ankrah Selby, is expected to make recommendations to the Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah who will then present the final recommended proposal to the cabinet.

After several failed attempts to re-establish a new national carrier with Accra as its base, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, Presenting the 2022 budget to Parliament last December, said the new airline will take to the skies this year.

” As part of Government pursuit to make Ghana the Aviation Hub for the West African Sub-region, the Ministry is at its final stage of negotiations with the selected strategic partner for the establishment of the home-based carrier. It is expected that the negotiation will be finalized and the airline established in 2022,” Ken Ofori-Atta said.

Contrary to proposals in the budget, AviationGhana’s analysis of past agreements and current state of affairs show that it is improbable for the proposed airline to take to the skies this year as stated, as there remains so much work to be done.