RE-OPENING OF KUMASI AIRPORT NOT CERTAIN –Alhaji Dauda

 From Simmons Yussif Kewura, Kumasi

THE Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda and a team of experts have inspected the Kumasi Airport to assess the extent of destruction to the tarmac that led to its closure over the weekend.

Alhaji Collins Dauda in an interview with The Chronicle lamented that what people are describing as cracks on the runaway of the airport is more than that, saying “what is there is like a manhole”.

He said initially, when they received reports that there were cracks on the tarmac, they taught it could be tackled within 24 hours, but practically what is there demand inputs by experts other than the Public Works Department (PWD).

He said he and the Board chairman of the Ghana Civil Aviation and a team of experts would have to take a closer look at the holes before commencement of rehabilitation work.

The sector minister hinted that he does not know when exactly the airport would be opened since they are yet to begin work on it.

He stated that authorities would not rush to open the airport, because doing so would be jeopardizing the lives of air travelers and that what they need to do is to ensure that the tarmac is properly worked on before it is opened.

According to Collins Dauda, Ghana does not want to witness plane crashes and that the country wanted to make Ghana a safer place for air transport.

The Kumasi Airport, the second largest in the country was last week Saturday closed to air transport, following a report that the tarmac has developed cracks. Initially, according to the sector minister, the PWD was asked to work on it, but after assessment it was realized that the damage was beyond mere cracks.

Currently, all persons who want to travel by air to Kumasi from Accra, or Kumasi to Accra, must use the Sunyani Airport before boarding a VIP bus to Kumasi, which would take about one to two hours.

 

 

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