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Aviation  

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The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) is the regulatory agency of the Republic of Ghana for air transportation in the country. It also provides air navigation services within the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR), which comprises the airspace over the Republic of Ghana and a large area over the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Guinea. 

The GCAA was established in 1930 as a unit with Public Works Department (PWD); in 1953 GCAA was granted Departmental Status. It became an Authority under PNDC Law 151 from 16th May 1986. In the year 2004 the GCAA Act was enacted to replace PNDC Law 151. 

The Civil Aviation Act, act 678 of November 2004 provides for the establishment of a Civil Aviation Authority, which will focus on the core functions of Airspace management and Safety Regulations whilst allowing for a different organization to handle Airport development and operations. 

Pursuant to the above, the GCAA was restructured into two bodies, that is, the new GHANA Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) on 1st January 2007. 

Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) was established as a result of the decoupling of the existing Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in line with modern trends in the aviation industry. 

The company was registered in January 2006 with specific responsibility for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana including Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Kumasi Airport, Tamale Airport, Sunyani Airport, Ho Airport, WA Airstrip as well as various Airstrips. GACL is an implementing agency under the Ministry of Transport.  

 

FUNCTIONS OF GCAA UNDER ACT 678 

Under the GCAA Act 678, the functions of GCAA include the following: 

  1. Licensing and Certification of Air Transport Operators 

  1. Licensing and Certification of Aerodromes and the Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Managements of Navigation Sites. 

  1. Provision of Air Navigation Services (Air Space Management) within the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR). 

  1. Regulation of Air Transport Services. 

  1. Promoting the Development of Civil Air Transport Industry in Ghana. 

  1. Advising Government on all matters Concerning Civil Aviation, among other functions. 

  1. Provision of oversight for all activities related to civil aviation. 

Different charges fees are applied, according to some criteria, such as Aircraft charges/ton, Parking and Lighting fees, for International, Sub-Regional and Domestic flights. See the link for more detailed information. 

 

There are currently eight operational airports in the country -- Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal Two, and six domestic airports, the Kumasi, Sunyani, Sekondi-Takoradi, Wa, Ho and Tamale Airports. 

Passenger:  

Twenty-five companies (three Nationals, twenty-two Internationals) have regular passenger flights to KIA, another company, ITA Airways, will begin operations in June 2024. 

 

Africa World Airlines 

Abuja, Kumasi, Lagos, Takoradi, Tamale 

Air Burkina 

Abidjan, Ouagadougou 

Air Côte d'Ivoire 

Abidjan 

Air France 

Paris–Charles de Gaulle 

Air Peace 

Lagos, Monrovia–Roberts  

ASKY Airlines 

Banjul, Freetown, Lomé, Monrovia–Roberts 

British Airways 

London–Gatwick, London–Heathrow 

Brussels Airlines 

Brussels 

Delta Air Lines 

New York–JFK 

Egyptair 

Cairo 

Emirates 

Abidjan, Dubai–International 

Ethiopian Airlines 

Addis Ababa 

Gianair 

Obuasi 

Ibom Air 

Lagos 

ITA Airways 

Rome–Fiumicino (begins 5 June 2024)  

Kenya Airways 

Dakar–Diass, Freetown, Monrovia–Roberts, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta 

KLM 

Amsterdam 

Middle East Airlines 

Beirut 

Passion Air 

Kumasi, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale, Wa 

Qatar Airways 

Abidjan, Doha 

Royal Air Maroc 

Casablanca 

RwandAir 

Kigali 

South African Airways 

Johannesburg–OR Tambo 

TAP Air Portugal 

Lisbon, São Tomé 

Turkish Airlines 

Istanbul 

United Airlines 

Washington–Dulles 

 

 

Cargo:  

Kotoka International Airport is served by numerous cargo airlines on a regularly scheduled basis, in addition to ad-hoc cargo flights. Here below the main companies operating in KIA: 

 

For more information on government agency and airport company contact information, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.5 Airport Companies Contact List.

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft 

The proper registration of aircraft is fundamental to the Safety of International Air Operations. International provisions require that each aircraft must be registered in a State and each State must maintain a Registry of aircraft. For an aircraft to be accepted for registration, the following requirements will have to be fulfilled: 

a. The aircraft must not have been registered in any other State or if previously registered proof of de-registration will be required. 

b. Proof of ownership should be established or an appropriate agreement between the owners of the aircraft and the one in whose name the aircraft is being registered shall be provided; and 

c. In the case of aircraft to be operated for hire and reward, the applicant must have reached an advanced stage in the certification process for the issue of an AOC, before any application for aircraft registration will be considered for processing. 
 
- Application (how and where to obtain it) 

a. Application for Registration of aircraft must be made on form CA 7 in duplicate and forwarded to the Director General. The applicant will be informed by the DSR if the application is acceptable. 

b. Operational and Maintenance history of the aircraft shall be provided. Checks and inspections required for the issuance of a Certificate of Airworthiness shall be carried out by Aviation Safety Inspector(s) assigned by the Director Safety Regulation. 

c. The assigned Inspector{s} shall inform the applicant about the requirements for the Registration of aircraft and give the necessary guidelines. 

d. The Inspector shall make a search in the electronic format of Master Aircraft Register for the next sequential registration marks and assign this as provisional registration marks to the aircraft to avoid a re-issue of registration marks which have been used. 

e. When the applicant requests for special registration marks, the Inspector shall ensure that the marks have not been issued already and that the applicant pays the appropriate fee for the special registration marks, in addition to the prescribed registration fee and any other charges. 

f. The applicant shall make the aircraft available at a time and place acceptable to the Authority for such checks and inspections considered necessary. Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASIs) shall use Aircraft Registration/ Issue of C of A form SRD/AIR/001 as a guide to conduct the necessary checks and inspections.  

g. The Inspector(s) shall ensure that all the aircraft data submitted by the applicant conform to that of the manufacturer and are correct in every detail. 

h. Having completed the required checks and inspections, the Inspector{s} shall submit a report with recommendations to the Director Safety Regulation (DSR) through the Head of Airworthiness. 

i. If all registration requirements, in accordance with the CAR have been met, and the recommendations of the Inspector{s} are acceptable to the DSR, the DSR shall submit the report to the Director General for final approval. Two copies of the Registration Certificate shall be issued for the Director-General’s signature. The original of the Certificate shall be given to the applicant and the other copy put in the specific aircraft file. The Certificate of Registration shall be always carried on the aircraft. 

j. If the aircraft is not acceptable for registration based on the report and recommendations of the Inspector(s), the applicant shall be informed in writing by the DSR stating reasons why the aircraft cannot be registered in Ghana. 

k. The Inspector(s) shall enter all the required aircraft details in the Civil Aircraft Register and submit the Register to the Head of Airworthiness who should ensure that, all relevant aircraft data are recorded in the Register. The Register shall be kept under lock and key by the DSR. 

The Inspector shall also ensure that the electronic copy of the Register is updated. 

An electronic backup of the register shall be made and kept under lock and key by the DDGT. 

 Access to the electronic format of the aircraft register is by a (Password) only 
- Registration and Safety Requirements 

The following documents shall be provided by the applicant for retention by the Authority: 

a. Prior to import, a copy of the type certificate and supporting type data sheets approved by the Authority of the State of Design for acceptance by the Authority. 

b. Export certificate of airworthiness from the state of registry, or in the case of a new aircraft, the state of manufacture. 

c. Significant deviations from the approved build standard, certified by the State of Registry or State of Design. If there are no deviations from the approved build standard, a certified statement to that effect by the State of Registry. 

d. Noise certificate from the designed state or state of export (if required); 
- Operator, Aircraft and Crew Documentation 

When an Aircraft is registered it shall be issued with a Certificate of Registration and shall be kept permanently on a file with the following documents: 

a. Application for registration of aircraft. 

b. Application for issue of Certificate of Airworthiness. 

c. Certificate of Registration. 

d. Certificate of Airworthiness. 

e. Noise Certificate. 

f. Radio Licence. 

g. Certificate of FM immunity (if necessary) 

h. De-registration Certificate. 

i. Bill of Sale (Proof of ownership) 

j. Type Certificate Data Sheet. 

k. Previous C of R. 

l. Previous C of A. 

m. Previous Radio Licence. 

n. Record of Major Modifications (if necessary) 

o. Weight and Balance Certificate. 

p. Compliance status for CPCP. 

q. Compliance status for ADs/SBs. 

r. Compliance status for SSID. 

s. Life Limited Components. 

t. List of Avionics Equipment’s including RVSM and TCAS Certificates (if any). 

u. Test Flight Report (if necessary). 

v. Maintenance Release and 

w. Inspection Report 

x. Any other documents 
 

 

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