Why Ghana Airport Company is 'angry' with McDan Aviation's operations

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Jan - 31 - 2022 , 16:29

The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has issues with McDan Aviation and the way the company is running Terminal 1 at the Kotoka International Airport which has recently been turned into a private jet lounge.

Last Friday, [Jan 28, 2022] McDan Aviation inaugurated a private jet lounge at Terminal 1 of KIA, a facility, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the McDan Group of Companies, Mr Daniel McKorley says is developed to open up the aviation industry to push Ghana towards its dream of becoming an aviation hub in the West African sub-region.

“This terminal is designed purposely to attract more businesses into the country within the shortest possible time, and this is what the country needs for its middle-to-high-end businesses,” he added.

Lounge

The facility, which has offices and conference rooms, would offer traveling investors and business people the opportunity to close deals at the terminal lounge without entering the city of Accra.

GACL's anger

However, the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) has accused McDan Aviation of breaching the laid down procedure after procuring its license to operate in 2019.

It raised concerns in a letter dated January 27, 2022, a day before the scheduled date for the McDan Group of Companies’ private jet service launch at Terminal 1 of KIA.

Despite a GACL directive to call off the event, the company went ahead to hold the ceremony last Friday. It was, however, not attended by the GACL leadership.

Other government officials who were absent at the outdooring of what Mr McKorley described as a feat in the country’s aviation sector included the Minister of Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah.

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It would also create opportunities for mobility for investors seeking a business to close deals under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), he added.

Below is a copy of GACL's letter

REQUEST TO POSTPONE INAUGURAL CEREMONY OF TERMINAL 1 PRIVATE JET OPERATIONS
SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022.

The GACL has noticed with concern your disregard for the norms of doing business in the aviation sector which require strict adherence to safety and security rules. Indeed, you have engaged in several activities without prior approval from GAL which have typically called for emergency
corrective actions.

One major example relates to your commencement of construction of the private jet terminal without a Plan of Construction Operation (PCO) approval from GACL. We only became aware of your construction activities during routine security patrols, and we had to ask you to stop and submit a PC for review and approval before construction continued.

And then, we only received your request for logistical support for the inauguration including arrangement for parking and management of approximately 300 invited guests yesterday, January 27, 2022. The nature of our work demands that we should have been given a reasonable period of notice to enable us plan adequately through engagement of relevant staff and stakeholders.

Indeed, all attempts to meet with you for discussions in connection with the proposed inauguration over the past three days failed as a result of your failure to turn up for the planned meetings.

Meantime, security was heavily breached at the terminal on January 27, 2022, through the parking of several vehicles in front of the terminal building. What makes this disturbing is that beyond verbal admonition, we had written to you the previous day, January 26, 2022, to the effect that cars could not be parked there.

Given all the above reasons, GACL is unable to support the inaugural event at this time.

We therefore ask that you postpone the event until we iron out all the necessary issues and you prove to us that you fully understand and appreciate how things are supposed to be done in the aviation sector in the interest of safety and security.

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