Citi Business News has gathered the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) will continue to manage the upper air space of Togo, Benin as well as that of Ghana.
This follows successful deliberations by the transport Ministry with Togo and Benin last month over the management of the airspace.
Togo and Benin two months ago requested independent management of their own airspaces following issues raised about entitlement to revenue from the management of the upper airspace.
The internationally designated Accra Flight Information Region (FIR) which refers to the combined upper airspace and large portions of the Atlantic Ocean of Ghana, Togo, and Benin has been managed by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority on behalf of the three countries for decades with revenues coming to only Ghana.
Citi Business News has learnt that air navigation charges for international flights that were operating within the Accra FIR as at 2010 was US$0.75 per kilometre flown.
While the minimum charge within the Accra FIR is US$200 and a maximum of US$600 with aircrafts, that weigh between 4 – 20 tonnes, charged a US$200 flat rate.
Data from the GCAA indicates that for the first half of this year, aircraft movement stood at 12,836 for international operation and with a minimum air navigational charge of US$200, Ghana alone made about US$2,567,200 from airlines that used the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in 2010.
In 2013 International aircraft movement to and from the Kotoka International Airport was at 23,437 from 21,072 in 2010.
Speaking to Citi Business News, the Acting Director General of The GCAA, Alhassan Abdulai said discussions could be concluded by the first quarter of 2015.
Following which Togo and Benin will send their teams to join the Ghanaian team to co-manage the upper air space.
The GCAA boss indicated that revenues will be shared among the 3 countries.
He was speaking to Citi Business News at an event to mark Global aviation’s 111th anniversary organized by Kilo Alpha Aviation Holdings.
By: Anim Kwaku Boadu/citifmonline.com/Ghana