The assurance comes on the back of an incident it witnessed on one of its aircrafts on a flight to Kumasi on Sunday, March 11, 2018.

A statement from AWA and copied to Citi Business News attributed the incident to a bird strike which affected the aircraft’s engine temporarily.

According to AWA, the engine has since been declared as serviceable as the aircraft has also carried passengers back to Accra devoid of any mishap.

Read the full statement from AWA below;

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post AWA renews commitment to safe flights after Kumasi incident appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

As a result, it is demanding a thorough audit into the operations of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The civil society group maintains that the failure by the GCAA to comply with a caution on the quality of the pilot seat of a Starbow aircraft, partly accounted for the accident that occurred in November last year.

The comments also follow the investigative report on the cause and recommendations into the incident by an ad-hoc committee.

The Executive Director of the Bureau of Public Safety, Nana Yaw Akwadah tells Citi Business News the issue must be taken seriously.

“We are calling on the ICAO to immediately open an audit into the activities and practices of the GCAA just so we know whether they are complying with the minimum standards by ICAO; we have also called for them to provide us with the recent audit report on the GCAA for study so that we can assure ourselves and the public of their safety,” he told Citi Business News.

A Kumasi bound Starbow aircraft skidded off the runway at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on that fateful day; November 25, 2017.

All passengers and crew members were however able to escape unhurt.

The issue led to the commissioning of an investigative committee.

But subsequently, Starbow which had only one aircraft operating at the time, suspended activities and asked almost all of the workers of the company to go home, albeit temporarily.

The investigative committee has since completed its work but the Bureau of Public Safety maintains that the officials of the GCAA neglected an earlier safety precaution.

“The Bureau of Public Safety has come to the firm conclusion that the unfortunate incident which may have cost over sixty-eight lives could have been prevented had the regulator i.e. Ghana Civil Aviation Authority ensured that an earlier issued air worthiness directive (AD No. 2016-0256) regarding the seats of the pilot and the co-pilot were implemented,” portions of the statement indicated.

The consumer group added, “We found it extremely worrying that investigators having established evidential and unambiguous violation on the part of the GCAA still went ahead to fault only Starbow (i.e the operator) and the flight crew without any recommendations whatsoever for the regulator (i.e. GCAA).”

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Air disaster looms over ‘neglect’ of safety concerns – Group appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It follows the sole operation of Africa World Airlines (AWA) in the domestic aviation sector.

Africa World Airlines became the single company flying domestically after the suspension of operations of Starbow Airlines in December 2017.

The development has since been met with mixed reactions from industry players due to the possible exploitation by the company.

Centre Coordinator for CUTS International, Accra Appiah Kusi Adomako doesn’t have any issue with monopoly but he tells Citi Business News the company would breach international laws when it fails to control its fares.

“AWA should make sure it puts a kind of a cap on its prices for any particular route; that is fares are charged above a particular level regardless of the distance .In that regard we can say that consumers are getting some kind of fairness in the market,” he explained.

Already, AWA has had to bear the brunt of increased passenger volumes during the yuletide where some passengers were stranded at the Tamale airport due to delayed flights.

At the time, the passengers threatened court action over the failure to address their concerns.

In the meantime, consumers are highly anticipating the commencement of operations of Baby Jet Airlines by June this year.

The Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Simon Allotey earlier explained to Citi Business News the role it will play in deepening competition.

“If the company works very hard and their manuals are found satisfactory and they have the aircraft they intend to operate and assuming all things are in place, then within six months they can complete the certification process,” he said.

For Mr. Appiah Adomako Kusi, Ghana should also expedite processes to pass the competition law to address any teething issues bordering on monopoly.

“We are hoping that the document can easily go to Parliament for the House to deliberate on it and also get stakeholder input and subsequently passed into law. But as an organization, we are working with all agencies to ensure that we get a competition law passed this year,” he reiterated.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Consumer group cautions against AWA’s monopoly appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The crash, which resulted in five minor injuries, occurred after the aircraft skidded off the runway during its take-off run.

Some other incidents involving Starbow airlines have been recorded in previous years.

In 2015, passengers on board a Tamale-bound Starbow airline, had the scare of their lives when the aircraft, BAE with registration 9GSBB, crash landed in Tamale although no injuries were recorded.

In 2014, two people were injured after a Takoradi bound Starbow aircraft made an emergency landing.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and other stakeholders in the aviation sector, have often been criticized for not cracking the whip enough on these airline operators, hence putting the lives of passengers at risk.

BPS in a statement sided with this position, saying the Transport Ministry and GCAA’s have since 2012,  refused to heed the Bureau’s “good advice to set up an independent investigation” into these incidents.

“Starbow Runway Overrun is bringing our country yet closer to witnessing a national disaster. The ICAO Safety Reports for 2015 and 2016 points in that direction for the Regional Aviation Safety Group – Africa and the Indian Ocean (RASG- AFI) comprising 48 countries including Ghana.”

The BPS believes allowing “GCAA to lead and continually investigate such incidents”, without setting up an independent investigation body can only “save jobs at the authority not lives of passengers.”

“Perhaps, it’s time for the BPS to explore what roles the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) and the Federal Aviation Administration ((FAA) can play in getting the State of Ghana to establish such a body as opposed to adhoc investigation committees whose findings and recommendations cannot be assured.”

Starbow halts operations after crash at Kotoka

Starbow Airlines has halted operations following the crash. A statement from Starbow said it had “suspended its operations with immediate effect.”

It added that “guests with future reservations are invited to contact the airline at 024 500 0000 to make alternative travel arrangements.”

Possible negligence

There has been a suggestion of negligence on the part of the aircraft’s pilot by William Owuraku Aidoo, a Deputy Minister of Energy who was on board the Starbow plane when it crashed.

He narrated that, the pilot tried to brave a storm that was obviously going to overwhelm the plane.

“As we were boarding the bus to the aircraft, I got a little concerned. I noticed the rains had started from afar approaching where we were parked” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo told Ghana Web.

“I am speculating that probably, the pilot tried to beat the oncoming clouds that were rolling in, and we taxied to the runway and the rain really caught up with us. So he stopped, prior to taking off proper, and I got more concerned because I could see that the rain was running down the windows very very fast when the plane was stationary, which signified to me that the wind was on the high side,” the Minister said.

Below is the statement from BPS

Starbow Runway Overrun is bringing our country yet closer to witnessing a national disaster. The ICAO Safety Reports for 2015 and 2016 points in that direction for the Regional Aviation Safety Group – Africa and the Indian Ocean (RASG- AFI) comprising 48 countries including Ghana.

The Ministry of Transport and the GCAA are not heeding good advise to set up an independent Accident investigation body as proposed by the Bureau of Public Safety.

Allowing the GCAA to lead and continually investigate such incidents can only save jobs at the authority not lives of passengers.

Perhaps it’s time for the BPS to explore what roles the International Civil Aviation Organization ( ICAO ) and the Federal Aviation Administration ((FAA) can play in getting the State of Ghana to establish such a body as opposed to adhoc investigation committees whose findings and recommendations cannot be assured.

We first called for this body to be set up in 2012 after a plane overshot the runway killing 10 persons.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Public Safety Bureau blames Transport Ministry, GCAA for Starbow crash appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Authority, the two were found to be misleading the public that they operate flights from Accra to other parts of the world.

A statement from the GCAA, signed by its Director-General, Simon Allotey, said, “Goldstar Airline has advertised flight operations from Accra, Ghana to destinations within Africa and other parts of the world. Similarly, Global Ghana Airlines, a Chicago-based company has also advertised flight operations between Accra, Ghana and Chicago, USA.”

It said “The above-mentioned advertisements are misleading and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority takes a very serious view of this.”

It said dealing with the airlines will be at one’s own risk as “they do not have the necessary approvals from GCAA to commence such air operations.”

“GCAA will abide by its mandate in ensuring that, stakeholders in the Aviation Industry in Ghana conduct their Air Transportation business in a safe and secure manner in accordance with National Laws, GCAA Regulations, International Standards and recommended best practice.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Aviation Authority cautions public against 2 ‘unapproved airlines’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.