Asamoah Gyan
Asamoah Gyan, captain of the Black Stars, is set to outdoor his airline by name ‘Baby Jet Airline’ soon.
President Akufo-Addo disclosed this at the launch of the African Airshow – first aerospace and aviation exhibition in the West African sub-region at the Kotoka International Airport recently.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Connecting aviation professionals across all areas of the industry with the African market,’ he indicated that even though the number of international airlines operating in the country have increased marginally from 35 to 37 this year with the inclusion of Air France and Mid Africa Aviation, “I’ve been reliably informed that the captain of our senior football national team, the Black Stars, Asamoah Gyan, Baby Jet, has obtained an air carrier licence and is working seriously to establish an airline, ‘Baby Jet Airline”.
He therefore appealed to every Ghanaian, both home and abroad, to consider the option of investing in the aviation sector which was experiencing rapid growth.
The President was hopeful the upsurge in airlines and passengers, both domestically and internationally, has contributed significantly to the Ghanaian economy.
These achievements did not happen overnight, but for the efforts of the Minister for Aviation and the agencies namely the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and other stakeholders in the aviation industry,” he said.
Focus
With Ghana determined to fulfill its role as the gateway to the West African sub-region, President Akufo-Addo said “government is poised to build a people friendly and business friendly economy in Africa to boost the confidence of the private sector to invest in the Ghanaian economy.”
“I call on all investors to partner domestic counterparts to ensure the realization of this vision, that for me is the way to creating jobs and prosperity for all Ghanaians.”
Meanwhile, government has also established Ghana Aviation Academy offering training to aviation professionals in the region.
It offers courses in air traffic control, aviation safety and security, aviation English proficiency and aviation management, and currently working in partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration.
Appreciation
He took the opportunity to congratulate Ghana Airport Company for working hard with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and other agencies for the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to win the 2017 best award for ‘Improvement in Safety’ by the Airports Council International (ACA).
In his welcome address, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), John Attafuah, said his outfit, together with key stakeholders, put together the show to position Ghana to become the aviation hub in West Africa.
On his part, Minister for Aviation, Cecilia Dapaah, said the show formed part of efforts to expand the frontiers to facilitate the development of the airport.
She said her ministry would promote the sector by repairing and improving the country’s airports to meet future demands.