Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda has revealed that masts belonging to the state broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), as well as some telecommunication networks mounted around the Wa Airport are hampering the full operationalization of the facility.
According to Mr. Adda, the continued presence of the masts will pose a threat to flight operations as efforts to round up the owners to remove them have proved futile.
Mr. Adda in Parliament on Tuesday, June 28, disclosed that the pandemic has stalled the removal of the masts by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority via the national security.
Nonetheless, he said GCAA has resumed its collaboration with the appropriate agencies to get the masts removed.
“The main obstacles faced at the Wa Airport are the siting of communication masts in the airspace around the airport. The masts are owned by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Upper West, Vodafone and AirtelTigo”.
Joseph Kofi Adda
“The authority was collaborating with the appropriate authorities to move the masts and surcharge the owners when the COVID-19 pandemic came up and stalled the process. In this regard, the GCAA has since resumed its collaboration with the appropriate agencies to get the masts removed”.
Background
On March 14, 2018, some three masts belonging to Vodafone Ghana and two commercial radio stations, namely: Puopeli FM and W 93.5 FM, were tagged as threats to the safe take-off and landing of flights at the Wa Airport.
The masts were said to often interfere when a flight was about to land at the Airport while that of Vodafone Ghana was regarded a hindrance to flight take-off from the airport.
As a result, managers of the three companies were summoned to a meeting with the Deputy Minister for Aviation, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Mr. Paul Kontoh, Director in charge of General Services at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Mr. Michael Omane Mensah, Regional Airport Manager, Tamale and Wa Airports to discuss the issue.
The Director, General Services at the GCAA made it clear that if the companies have not acquired the requisite permit from the Authority, there is no way compensation could be paid for any relocation of a mast.
The Deputy Aviation Minister directed the managers of the affected companies to find out from their owners whether they had acquired a permit from the GCAA after which they should contact the Aviation Ministry so that a technical person would be sent down to address the issue.
He said the Airport was ready for business adding that “should we get any airline that is ready to fly to the region today, we will commence business”.
Mr. Darko-Mensah called for full cooperation from all parties to ensure that all challenges were quickly addressed.
