USTDA Grant Supports Aviation Infrastructure Improvements in Ghana
March 29, 2012
(USTDA)
ACCRA, GHANA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant
today to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to help create design
documents for the construction of the Kotoka International Airport Air Traffic
Control Center.
The $322,560 grant was signed at the U.S. Embassy in Accra by U.S. Ambassador
Donald Teitelbaum and GCAA Director General Air Commodore (Rtd) Kwame Mamphrey.
It will fund a technical assistance program that will produce technical design
drawings for the control center. The technical assistance program will also
develop documents necessary for procuring the goods and services required to
implement the construction project. Currently, GCAA has selected LPA Group
Incorporated, a transportation consulting firm based in Columbia, S.C., to carry
out the technical assistance.
The technical assistance program builds upon a previous USTDA-funded feasibility
study, which provided a preliminary analysis of the equipment and facilities
needed to construct the Air Traffic Control Center. The program compliments a
separate project USTDA is involved in, which entails refurbishing a passenger
terminal at the same airport.
Air traffic in Ghana has increased significantly over the past several years due
to strong economic growth and the discovery of oil in the country. In order to
support the rapid increase in air traffic, Ghana has been expanding its aviation
infrastructure, including the Kotoka International Airport. The construction of
the Air Traffic Control Center will also improve the capacity of the airport and
enhance aviation safety in the region.
USTDA Regional Director Paul Marin said the recent USTDA grant symbolizes the
Agency's continued support for Ghana's aviation sector improvements.
"USTDA has been deeply involved with Ghana's aviation infrastructure projects
from an early stage," Marin said. "Since 2000 we have supported improvements at
three different airports in the region, which has had a positive impact on the
country's economy and created business opportunities for U.S. companies."
If implemented, the construction of the Kotoka International Airport Air Traffic
Control Center could generate tens of millions of dollars in U.S. exports of
equipment and services. Items like air-to-ground communication systems and
satellite naviation services would be necessary to complete the construction of
the control center. Historically U.S. companies have been highly competitive in
supplying the materials and expertise needed for air traffic management on a
global scale.
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