Aviation industry pioneers to be honoured (pg 32)

The pioneers of the civil aviation industry in Ghana will be honoured annually beginning this year for their contributions to creating the country’s enviable safety records in the industry.
A fund is also to be set up to support some of the retired pioneers who are in financial difficulties.
The Chairman of the Kilo Alpha Aviation Holdings (KAAH), Captain Victor Kwesi Amoah, announced this at a press conference to highlight events of the celebration scheduled for December this year.
The initiative, which is under the auspices of the Felvic Aviation Events (FAE), a subsidiary of KAAH, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Transport (MoT) would also be used to demystify the aviation industry and bring it closer to the ordinary Ghanaian.
The event, dubbed the “Wright Brothers Day,” would also eulogise Orville and Wilbur Wright, the two brothers who engineered and powered the world’s first aircraft.
To achieve the objectives of the week-long celebration, a number of programmes have been lined up including games for all stakeholders, special fundraising event for the veterans, lectures and quiz competition for schools. There will also be the Miss Aviation Pageant, to search for a young lady who would promote the industry for a year, a documentary on the genesis of the aviation industry in Ghana, among others.
Captain Amoah said pioneers of the Ghanaian industry prided themselves in the enviable safety aviation records and tremendous transformation and achievements the industry had chalked up.
He said it was, therefore, important to recognise their efforts as the world prepared to celebrate 107 years of aviation industry’s success story.
He said the aviation industry abounded in several opportunities which when tapped could help in the socio-economic development of the country.
“Ghana could use its touted safety records to enhance the growth of the industry, as well as increase opportunities for the tourism industry,” he stated.
He said the industry remained viable because there were no alternatives to air transport, noting that the increasing world population implied that the industry would record tremendous growth for years to come.
Captain Amoah said the formation of aviation clubs in the schools, from the primary to tertiary level, would not only help in whipping interest among young people at an early stage and sustain it through their lifetime, but will also facilitate career paths for a lot of young people with interest in aviation. Capt Amoah added that Ghana’s oil find would also have to be backed by a strong aviation industry.
The Chairman of the FAE Project Committee, Mr Price Ekow Freeman, for his part, said the celebration would afford Ghanaians the opportunity to appreciate the contributions of the industry’s veterans, who propelled the industry to where it is today.
The World Aviation Day is celebrated on December 17, every year to commemorate the achievement of the industry’s pioneers.

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