Home-based airline to begin operations in 2019

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has revealed that a new national airline will commence operations in the country next year.

Presenting the 2019 budget statement to Parliament on Thursday, Ken Ofori-Atta said the government has approved the establishment of a home-based airline which will involve the participation of the private sector.

This, according to him, will complement the various transport systems currently running in the country to ferry both humans and goods through international and regional routes.

“Mr Speaker, Cabinet has given approval for the establishment of a home-based airline with private sector participation to provide regional and inter-continental services for the efficient movement of people, goods and services as well as promote tourism. Strategic investors will be engaged, and the airline is expected to commence operations in 2019,” he said.

To complement the multi-modal transport system and support the movement of people and goods, the Ministry of Transportation commenced work on the Kumasi Airport Phase II Project to upgrade it to international airport standards.

The works include the extension of the runway from the current 1,981 metres to 2,300 metres, construction of a new terminal building to handle 1 million passengers per year and other ancillary works. The project is expected to be 30 percent complete by the end of 2018.

According to the Minister, work on Tamale Airport Phase II has received regulatory approvals for the construction of a new Terminal building and will serve the Sahelian region, and in 2019, the contract agreement will be finalised, and construction works will begin.

The Finance Minister also announced that the government will be investing massively in road, railways and air transport, from a variety of funding sources.

“Mr. Speaker, infrastructure, both hard and soft, is the backbone of economic development and growth, as well as a source of jobs and wealth for a majority of people. In a rapidly changing global marketplace, traditional infrastructure like electricity and power, transport and logistics, water and sanitation, roads, highways, and railways have combined with new, mostly soft infrastructure like digitization of government services to enable emerging economies like ours leapfrog the development path to prosperity”
“Mr. Speaker, this Government, is committed to embarking on an integrated infrastructural development programme across the country that will move goods, food items and people from one location to another that will create jobs and prosperity and ensure value for money for Ghana as well as position Ghana as the transportation, energy and logistics hub in the region.”

By: Farida Yusif | citinewsroom.com | Ghana