The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has directed all domestic airline operators to cancel flights to Northern Regional capital, Tamale.
This directive was issued as a result of the severe harmattan conditions in the area.
[contextly_sidebar id=”RaFI3jRr2ctv1XsjsFfIdqAqG0oGMRUA”]Last week, some domestic airline cancelled flights to Tamale over the bad weather conditions.
Over the weekend the presidential jet was also unable to land forcing the President to continue his journey by road.
On Saturday, an Ethiopian cargo aircraft crash landed at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA); an accident some associated with the bad weather conditions although the GCAA is currently investigating the matter.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the acting Director General of the GCCA, Abdulai Alhassan said: “We don’t know whether it’s the bad weather or not. The first one overshot the runway but this one skidded off. At least, it measured to the 4,000 meters.”
Meanwhile, the GCAA has dismissed claims that the runway at the Kotoka International Airport is not long enough to ensure the safe landing of aircrafts.
Concerns about the length of the runway way has increased after the Ethiopian cargo aircraft crash landed and skidded off the runway.
Mr. Alhassan explained that the fact that many aircrafts have landed and taken off safely at the airport after the incident does not give credence to such speculations.
He said it is unwarranted for people to make such unsubstantiated speculations, advising that “we should just hold on and see what the investigations will come out with.”
“We should avoid the issue of the runway being too short but then if it’s too short then how can aircrafts land?” he asked.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan