Ghana’s two main domestic airlines Africa World Airlines (AW, Accra) and PassionAir (OP, Accra) have lost an estimated GHS330,000 cedi (USD60,0000) in revenue because of a recent one-day strike by Ghana Air Navigation Services employees, reports GhanaWeb.
Both airlines were forced to temporarily suspend flights on October 14, 2020, on routes from Accra to Kumasi and Tamale after ANS employees downed tools for 24 hours. A total of two flights to Tamale and four to Kumasi were affected. Normal schedules were restored on October 15, 2020, both airlines confirmed.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority Workers Union said the strike was called to draw the attention of the Ministry of Aviation, the Lands Commission, and the Presidency to the redevelopment of land and resulting threats to aviation installations at the La Wireless Station Aviation Training School in Accra. The resulting damage to underground cables affecting ground-based flight signals was a major concern, the union said.
The land in contention was leased by Ghana’s traditional leaders known as La Traditional Council to the British colonial administration in 1948 for 99 years. The Ghana government subsequently renewed the lease, under which terms portions of the land were ceded to the government for development, while another portion was given to the GCAA, which has permanent structures on the land. However, the government and La Traditional Council recently signed an agreement allowing the traditional authority to redevelop the land housing the aviation training academy. Developers backed by the traditional council have since started redeveloping portions of the land, causing damage to underground cables, news reports said.
