Plans are far advanced for the country to settle on a new national airline latest by 2019. Minister-designate for Aviation Cecilia Dapaah, taking her turn at the ministerial vetting a while ago confirmed the time is rife for Ghana to take a step towards owning a national airline. Since the collapse of the country’s national airline, Ghana International Airlines, in 2010, government has made albeit unsuccessful efforts at reviving the sector with a national carrier. The defunct Ghana International Airlines (GIA) took over from Ghana Airways as a national airline in 2004. It was a partnership between the government of Ghana and a group of private international investors. Cecelia Dapaah says discussions on the country’s new national airline are at the final stages. “I have sighted documents that can aid us have our own airlines. I have consulted a lot of stakeholders and feasibility studies have been done. We will add up to what they have done and I believe in my heart that Ghana is rife to have its own carrier,” she intimated. According to her, development partners have assured her of their support. “Mr Chairman I will cross my fingers, the consultant says two years, but I said we should do it in a year if possible. So between one and two years, we should all back it up with prayers”, she added. By Grace Asare |3FM|3news.com|Ghana]]>