Aviance donates to psychiatric hospital to mark 25th anniversary
Aviance Ghana, a ground cargo and passenger handling company at the Kotoka International Airport, has donated assorted items, including food, to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital as a gesture of gratitude as it marks 25 years in business and existence.
The company also changed the uniform of its staff as part of a rebranding process, organised a health screening exercise for employees and honoured long-serving staff as it climaxed the celebrations.
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At a grand durbar to climax the anniversary, the Minister of Aviation, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, commended the management and staff of the company for their contribution to the nation in the aviation industry, for the jobs the company had created and for the businesses it had developed.
Mr Adda described Aviance as a giant and trailblazer in facilitating passenger travels and cargo handling.
The company was formed in October 1994 and operated under the name African Ground Operations (AFGO), handling imports and exports of air cargo at the airport.
After it became Aviance, it added passenger handling services to its portfolio.
Anniversary
The anniversary celebration was dubbed: ‘Making Ghana an aviation hub in West Africa: the role of Aviance as a ground handler’, and Mr Adda said the theme was most appropriate given the current climate in the sector and the President's vision for Ghana.
He said Aviance was a strategic and key stakeholder in the aviation industry, and that the government was committed to supporting the company to achieve its objectives and vision.
He said the company deserved commendation for maintaining high safety standards in its operations among other important aspects of its overall work.
He urged Aviance and other ground-handling companies to stay on the right side of the law to help the State combat gold smuggling, money laundering and drug trafficking at the airport.
Workforce
The Managing Director of Aviance, Mr Mark Kamis, said with a combined workforce of 880, the company was on course to expand its business and areas of operation.
That, he said, was evidenced in efforts towards improving the high-end products for the business lounge, re-organisation of management, strong collaboration with the union and business partners.
The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Mr Simon Allotey, congratulated the board, management and staff of Aviance Ghana on the 25 years milestone.
Mr Allotey said as a ground handler for 25 years, Aviance had gone through many turbulent periods, and said it was a mark of excellence that the company had shown perseverance, efficient management and support of the skilful worker to survive and thrive during the period.
He noted that close to 4.1 billion passengers were conveyed on 38 million international flights last year, and that those figures were expected to double in the next 15 years.