The government has been urged to urgently formulate a comprehensive General Aviation policy to nurture a sector capable of generating massive employment and driving growth across agriculture, tourism, healthcare, and advertising.
The call was made by Asiwome Dzakuma, Founder of Strategic Aviation Services, during an appearance on The High Street Talks. He argued that with the right framework, Ghana could easily position itself as the premier General Aviation hub for West Africa, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The High Street Talks held every other Tuesday from 7pm, is a premier business and policy-focused dialogue platform dedicated to unpacking economic reforms, financial trends, and industrial growth strategies within Ghana and the broader West African sub-region. The program frequently hosts industry experts, innovators, and policymakers to deliver data-driven analysis and actionable insights aimed at bridging the gap between private enterprise and public policy.
General Aviation encompasses all civil aviation operations other than scheduled commercial airlines, including private flights, agricultural spraying, medical evacuations, aerial photography, and flight training.
According to Mr. Dzakuma, the primary barrier holding the sector back is the current regulatory framework, which is heavily tailored toward large-scale commercial airline operations. He noted that applying these stringent, commercial-grade regulations to smaller operators makes entry and sustainability in General Aviation prohibitively expensive.
“We need a regulatory regime that differentiates between a massive commercial airliner and a small private or utility aircraft,” Dzakuma explained, emphasizing that the lack of tailored regulations stifles local innovation and investment.
To bridge this gap, Dzakuma revealed plans to launch a structured advocacy campaign aimed at capturing the government’s attention and guiding policymakers toward introducing a balanced, supportive framework for development and regulation.
Pointing to successful models on the continent, he urged Ghana to learn from Kenya, which has built a thriving General Aviation industry that serves as a backbone for its tourism, wildlife conservation, and emergency medical sectors.
As a practical step toward building this network, the aviation expert proposed that every district in Ghana should be equipped with an airstrip. Dispelling the notion that such infrastructure is financially out of reach, Dzakuma explained that basic airstrips are relatively low-cost to construct but offer immense economic returns by opening up local districts to rapid medical responses, agricultural support, and direct tourism.
He concluded by reiterating that the untapped potential of General Aviation is too significant for Ghana to ignore, calling on state actors to view the sector not as a luxury, but as a critical catalyst for national economic transformation.
