Ghana has been selected as the headquarters of the airworthiness panel centre that will co-ordinate the promotion and the implementation of aviation safety oversight on the African continent.

Mr. Asare Buotu, former Director of Safety Regulations at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), will head the centre as an interim secretary. This forms part of a 14-point resolution adopted at the end of a one-week International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regional seminar on aircraft safety in Accra.

The seminar, which was attended by 69 participants from over 10 Western and Central African countries, included stakeholders in the aviation industry as well as officials from ICAO and the US Federal Aviation Authority.

The seminar, aimed at developing within the civil aviation authority administrations and air carrier operations in Africa, capabilities in the fundamental and technical specialties of airworthiness of safety of aircraft. It also recommended that the centre, which is to be located in Accra should be made up of a panel of experts in aircraft worthiness who would be responsible for the setting up of a forum for the continuous information related to airworthiness and maintenance of aircraft through a web page, providing a list of aircraft maintenance organisations.

The centre will also develop a common aircraft register for the African continent as well as establishing a mode of handling aging aircraft within the region, particularly the economic interest associated with it.

In his closing remarks, Captain Joe Boachie, the Director General of the GCAA expressed his appreciation for the selection of Ghana as the secretariat of the proposed airworthy panel.

He said the setting up of the panel would help promote the driving force needed by African countries if they should want to catch up with the rest of the world in safety and specialized areas in the aviation industry.

Mr. Mostafa Hoummady, ICAO representative on universal safety oversight audit programme, expressed the hope that information received by participants will sensitise states as well as aircraft operators on the functions and duties in relation to international air transport. He noted that the seminar had given them guidelines on how the system for keeping aircraft airworthy is expected to be implemented technically.