Abla Dzifa Gomashie (L) among some of the Air Force officials
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie on September 25, 2025, paid an official visit to the Air Force Military Base in Accra to witness a flight demonstration of the Cessna SkyCourier, organized by Century Aviation Ltd. in partnership with global aviation leaders.
The event forms part of the Ministry’s broader mission to explore innovative transportation solutions aimed at enhancing domestic tourism and improving connectivity across Ghana.
Speaking on the sidelines of the demonstration, the minister expressed excitement about the invitation and highlighted aviation as a critical enabler of tourism development, particularly in light of ongoing challenges in the country’s road infrastructure.
“The challenge for the work that I do is connectivity — the ability for people who want to explore and experience Ghana to travel wherever they want to go. Our road network needs a lot of work, and flying out of Ghana to other countries is not the friendliest,” the minister stated.
She commended the capabilities of the Cessna SkyCourier, describing it as a game-changer for regional travel within Ghana.
“What I’ve seen today has been very inspiring. I’m told this aircraft is manufactured to land almost anywhere — that, in itself, is good news. We don’t have to wait for major infrastructure to be in place before we can begin operations.”
The minister identified several high-potential tourism destinations, including Mole National Park, Nkroful (the hometown of Dr Kwame Nkrumah), and the Aflao border area, that could benefit immensely from improved air access.
She emphasised that reducing travel times by air would encourage both local and international visitors.
“Many people want to experience Ghana but are discouraged by the long travel times by road. It’s often easier for them to fly out of Ghana entirely for their holidays. This initiative changes that.”
The demonstration was spearheaded by a high-level delegation, including Robert Prentice, Vice President of Africair, Inc. (Miami, FL, USA); David De Cock, Regional Sales Director for Textron Aviation; and Mrs. Essie Anno Sackey, Director of Century Aviation Ltd.
Textron Aviation’s primary objective was to introduce and market the Cessna SkyCourier to key aviation stakeholders in Ghana, underscoring the aircraft’s versatility and reliability for domestic operations.
“The aviation industry goes hand in hand with tourism, hence the reason why we’re grateful that the Minister came,” a representative from the organizing team noted.
Century Aviation and Textron Aviation expressed their appreciation to the Government of Ghana for supporting the initiative and called for further collaboration in navigating the regulatory environment to ensure smooth implementation and operation of their aviation project.
The minister concluded her visit by reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to working closely with private sector stakeholders such as Century Aviation to unlock new tourism corridors, support the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, and create sustainable economic opportunities for the nation.
