The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is struggling to hold on to management of Togo and Benin’s airspace as the two countries complain of non receipt of revenue for decades.

The authority manages the airspace of the two countries over the Atlantic Ocean and in 2010 alone made over 2 million dollars in air navigation charges.

Togo and Benin are motivated to break free because the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar based in Senegal is offering to manage their airspace and pay them good revenue.

Acting Director General of the GCAA Abdulai Alhassan tells Joy News losing the Togo-Benin deal will lead to a more than 50 percent drop in revenue and will affect the Authority’s operations. 

There was “no written arrangement” but a co-management deal was proposed for the two countries to bring their personnel to man their equipment. Under this condition the GCAA would reinvest any proceeds into managing its equipment and “whatever is left we will share”, he recalled.

The aviation industry is not a profit making institution, Mr. Alhassan said, “so over the years we have been buying the modern equipment to ensure a safe and secure airspace”.

The GCAA is still pushing for the co-management to avert the impending revenue implication for the industry. If this is agreed, Ghana, he said, will charge “the operating cost against the 62% and share the net proceeds”.

Transport Minister, Dzifa Ativor is expected to meet the Togolese and Béninoise delegations on the issue next week.

posted by (IE)