Credit: Kekeli K. Blamey
The closure of McDan Aviation’s private jet terminal at Kotoka International Airport over a $3 million debt has sparked concerns about the potential economic and reputational consequences for Ghana’s tourism industry.
According to Kweku Ampromfi, the Chief Executive Officer of McDan Aviation, the terminal’s shutdown will have far-reaching impacts on various stakeholders, including the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), vendors, and the country’s reputation as a premier tourism destination.
“The problem is that this goes beyond us. It will affect us in the way we do business. It will also affect our reputation, but beyond us, so many vendors work for us. Some people supply to us, people who clean, provide catering services, and it affects all those people,” he explained.
The CEO also expressed concern that the closure undermines government efforts to position Ghana as a premier tourism destination in the region. “Imagine, you travel on a private jet into a private terminal, and you hear on the news that the terminal is shut down. What kind of impression would you get about that country? It is the same issue we are having here. When these things happen, the reputation damage is not just to us, it is a whole ecosystem of people that it affects,” he stated.
The CEO further noted that the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) stands to incur financial losses due to the terminal’s shutdown, as it benefits from royalties from the terminal’s operations.
“The longer we get shut down, they also lose money,” he added.
The CEO’s warnings come as the government seeks to promote Ghana as a premier tourism destination in the region to boost the financial muscle of the country.
The terminal’s shutdown is likely to have significant impacts on the country’s tourism image and the broader ecosystem of businesses that rely on the terminal’s operations.
