US embassy cable - 05ACCRA2382

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 002382 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO FAA NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS WASH DC 
FOR LARRY KEPHART 
DAKAR FOR ED JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV, EAIR, GH, ECON, aviation 
SUBJECT: GHANA CIVAIR UPDATE - POSITIVE CHANGES AND REAL 
RESULTS 
 
REF: ACCRA 407 
 
1. (U) Summary: Ghana's civil aviation sector has entered a 
period of rebuilding after a year which saw the demise of 
Ghana Airways, the crash of Ghana-based MK Airlines' 747 in 
Nova Scotia, and the subsequent downgrade of the Ghana Civil 
Aviation Authority (GCAA), which barred all Ghanaian carriers 
from flying to the US (reftel).  Ghana International Airways, 
a new company with American management, has become the 
national carrier and begun operations despite the strenuous 
objections of former Ghana Airways employees.  The GoG and 
GCAA have shown good faith by allowing North American Airways 
to take advantage of the US-Ghana Open Skies agreement and 
provide direct service between Accra and New York.  GCAA 
appears to be on track to regain Category 1 status by May of 
2006.  End Summary. 
 
Ghana International Airlines 
---------------------------- 
 
2. (U) Ghana's new national carrier, Ghana International 
Airlines (GIA), made its maiden flight from Accra to London 
on October 29.  GIA plans to service the route daily with a 
757 wet-leased from US-based Ryan Air. 
 
3. (SBU) GIA's Vice-President for Operation, Amcit Albert 
Vitale, told Econoff October 22 that the company had received 
several threats from former employees of the now-defunct 
Ghana Airways. GIA's American managers and the GoG are taking 
these threats seriously after a former Ghana Airways employee 
attempted to infiltrate a group of GIA flight attendants 
scheduled to attend a training session October 19 in London. 
Vitale told EconOff that he received word from a current GIA 
employee that the former Ghana Airways employee intended to 
cause 'mischief' on either the flight to London or in the 
training session.  The former employee was stopped in Kotoka 
Airport by National Security agents and a representative of 
the British High Commission to Ghana, who revoked his UK 
visa.  GIA has added several layers of security to prevent 
incidents.  Vitale reported that GoG cooperation on this 
issue was "excellent." 
 
4. (SBU) GIA plans to add a second wet leased aircraft --also 
from Ryan Air-- before the end of the year to provide service 
to Dusseldorf and Johannesburg.  Vitale plans to have two 
767s -- operated by GIA crews -- in Accra in December and in 
operation by March, 2006.  These 767s will service the North 
American routes GIA inherited from Ghana Airways.  According 
to Vitale, Ethiopian Airlines, which had agreed to provide 
service to North America for GIA under a code-share 
agreement, has not come forward with the technical and 
financial assistance it originally agreed to provide to GIA. 
 
5. (U) The arrival of these 767s is an important step in the 
licensing of GIA, which is central to GCAA's bid to regain 
Category I status.  FAA cited licensing of an airline by GCAA 
under Ghana's new Civil Aviation Act --passed in December 
2004-- as one of the prerequisites for the reinstatement of 
Category I status.  GIA has already applied for its license 
and submitted safety manuals to GCAA.  Vitale told EconOff he 
hopes to get GIA licensed by the end of March 2006. 
 
North American Airlines 
----------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) North American continues to provide the only direct 
service between Accra and North America with a weekly flight 
to New York.  According to Country Director Obed Owusu-Kissi, 
at least one additional flight will be added in April of 
2006.  North American is also seriously considering offering 
service between New York and Lagos and Baltimore and Banjul 
within the next year. 
 
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and FAA's visit 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
7. (U) FAA Regional Representative Ed Jones visited Ghana 
October to assess GCAA's progress towards recovering Category 
I status, which will allow Ghanaian flagged carriers to fly 
to the US.  Jones reported that GCAA had made significant 
progress on its training agenda created in the wake of FAA's 
February 2005 assessment and subsequent downgrade.  GCAA has 
managed to address most of the major training deficiencies 
outlined in FAA's report. 
 
8. (SBU) According to Jones, training for GCAA's flight 
operations inspectors -- which requires inspectors to 
demonstrate proficiency in the systems and operation of the 
specific aircraft types in use by domestic carriers -- is 
lagging, mainly due to the upcoming retirement of both of 
GCAA's operations inspectors.  GCAA told Jones that they had 
hired four new inspectors and hoped to have them trained and 
certified as soon as possible.  GIA's Albert Vitale (see para 
3) expressed GIA's willingness to allow GCAA inspectors 
access to the 767s for training purposes.  GCAA has also 
formally requested technical assistance from FAA to assist in 
the final licensing of GIA. (NOTE: GCAA's Acting Director 
General Nii Badoo told EconOff that the current inspectors 
were not retiring so much as they were being retired.  End 
Note.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
9. (SBU) It appears that GCAA and GIA are working together to 
address FAA's concerns and move the licensing process forward 
as quickly as possible.  Fortunately, both parties seem to 
have a similar understanding of what constitutes the 
possible.  GCAA's has benefited greatly from President 
Kufuor's decision to have it report directly to his office 
rather than the Ministry of Roads and Transport.  EconOff can 
attest to a real change in GCAA's atmosphere and employee 
morale as compared to the months immediately after last 
year's Ghana Airways debacle.  GCAA's managers answer 
questions directly, make decisions, and understand exactly 
what has been done and what is needed to remake GCAA into a 
functioning and authoritative civair oversight body.  End 
Comment. 
LANIER