A member of the Roads and Transport Committee, Yussif Jajah, has revealed that the Minister for Road and Transport has decided to sanction McDan Aviation for its failure to go through the right process to acquire a licence for its operations.

According to him, the Committee was informed that McDan Aviation had only been given a private jet license which expired three months after it was issued. Mr Jajah explained that as a result, the company has to go through the process of not only acquiring a commercial license but ensure all the needed documents to fully operate are ready.

“As we speak now, he doesn’t have the licence and he’s still now going through the process to acquire it. The Minister says he is going to sanction McDan Industries, at least for defying their orders, and what have you, so a meeting would start next week to see to that”.
Yussif Jajah

Mr Jajah indicated that “to acquire it (the license) and per what we were told, it would take more than a year or two to get it”.

His comments follow accusations made by the Ghana Airports Company Limited on McDan Aviation’s breaching of laid down procedure after procuring its license to operate in 2019.

In a letter dated Friday, January 28, 2022, the Transport ministry expressed concern over McDan Group’s disregard for the norms of doing business in the aviation sector which requires strict adherence to safety and security rules. The airport authorities noted that the McDan Group had engaged in some activities without prior approval from GACL. These activities, the statement indicated, included the commencement of the construction of the private jet terminal without a plan of construction operation approval.

In spite of the directive from GACL to call off the launch, the company went ahead to hold the ceremony last Friday.

GACL issues statement to McDan Aviation

Following this, GACL ordered the newly launched McDan Aviation to suspend its use of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) until further notice. According to the GACL Managing Director, Yaw Kwakwa, they only took cognisance of the happening “during routine security patrols”.

“…and we had to ask you to stop and submit a PCO [Plan of Construction Operation] for review and approval before construction continued”.
GACL

Another concern raised was that the private jet company was “yet to fulfil its financial obligations to Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL)”.

“McDan owes GACL a total of US$4,505,034 and GHS227,293 respectively.”
GACL

GACL emphasized that the nature of its work demands that its should have been given a reasonable period of notice to enable it to plan adequately through the engagement of relevant staff and stakeholders.

Subsequently, in a letter signed on January 31, by the Managing Director of the Airports Company, Yaw Kwakwa, GACL stated that “we note with concern your failure to comply with the directive despite the outstanding issues on the prior terms and conditions for the use and operations of Terminal 1 as a Private Jet Terminal”.