The Deputy Minister of Aviation, Yaw Afful, has said the Wa Airport will be opened for commercial flights after a month’s assessment and safety test.
“We can assure residents that the airport will be opened for commercial flights after a month, we have already spoken to some airline companies, African World Carrier and Home Base Carrier to assist in that direction,” Mr Afful stated and said the test was necessitated to ensure the safety of future clients and patrons of the facility.
“Ghana has been ranked first in Africa in the aviation sector with a score of 89.9 per cent. This was as a result of the safety measures we have put in place at our airports hence it was necessary to come and test the Wa Airport to ensure that it meets the required standards before allowing for commercial flights,” he explained.
The deputy minister stated this when he paid a working visit to the Upper West Region where he, together with the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Issahaku Amidu Chinnia and the consultants who would be undertaking the testing inspected the facility at Wa yesterday.
“We cannot underestimate the significant role the airport will play in the economy of the region if it is opened, therefore we are doing our best to make sure it starts operations immediately,” he added.
The consultant of the firm, Engineering Provision Services Company Limited, assigned to undertake the assessment, Des Bordes Viala said there was no cause for alarm as preliminary assessment indicated that the soil was good for flight and could therefore support commercial activities.
“We will however send samples of the soil to the laboratory in Accra to authenticate its strength. In this regard, we are going to test the run way, the taxi link and the aprons to assess them all,” Mr Viala explained.
He reiterated that the work would be completed within a month.
Mr Issahaku Chinnia on his part said he was grateful for the quick response from government and stated that “in the last three weeks I have led two different entourage of chiefs from the region to see the President about the opening of the airport, and I am glad he has responded swiftly to this matter”.
The airport which has a two-kilometre tarred runway with other facilities like arrival halls, had been given several inauguration dates but this had not seen the light of day since 2016.
FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA
