Accra, May 5, GNA - Miss Gloria Akuffo, Minister of Aviation on Tuesday announced that a private micro-light aircraft company (WAASPS) based in the Eastern region has embarked on the manufacturing of two and four seater ultra light aircraft for pilot training, medical and agriculture support services.

She said the company has so far manufactured four aircraft and are in the process of completing another four this year.

Miss Akuffo, highlighting the activities and achievements of the Aviation Ministry at the Meet-The-Press series in Accra, said the company has also embarked on basic training of pilots in the country on micro lights aircraft.

The ministry, she said, was collaborating with the company to manufacture enough of such aircraft to enable them to have access to the hinterlands during national disasters.

On infrastructure, the Minister said the ministry was faced with inadequate office accommodation and equipment, transit facilities at Kotoka International Airport, aircraft maintenance facilities and facilities at domestic airports, links with ground transportation, among others.

"Another problems facing the ministry is lack of Title to KIA lands and this is making things difficult for us to keep encroachers at bay," she said.

Miss Akuffo said a chunk of KIA lands were encroached upon posing danger to their operations and that of the encroachers and appealed to government to cede right of land titles to the Ministry. On severance payments to the defunct Ghana Airways Limited workers, the Minister said, 47 pilots and Flight Engineers were fully settled at a total cost of 1.4 million dollars.

The government, she said, had agreed to bear a total cost of 6.5 million dollars of 1,199 General Staff, including Cabin Crew who qualified for severance payment.

She said government had so far released two million dollars with 4.5 million dollars outstanding and 1,024 out of the general staff have been partially settled at 1.9 million dollars. Miss Akuffo, however, said 20 out of the remaining 175 have rejected the Liquidator's offer and were demanding that the calculation of their severance be based on their salaries at the out of station. The rest are yet to validate their claims.

Ghana Airways (GH) Staff with Airways Catering Limited (ACL) prior to ACL's autonomy have also been partially settled. Claims by ACL staff engaged after autonomy have been rejected as they were not GH staff at the time of liquidation. 6 May 08