GCAA HOSTS STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT ON UTM INTEGRATION FEASIBILITY

GCAA HOSTS STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT ON UTM INTEGRATION FEASIBILITY

On Monday, 2 March 2026, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) met with a delegation from ALG, a transport and infrastructure consulting firm, which is providing technical support for a feasibility study on the implementation of an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) framework in Ghana.

The meeting, held at the GCAA’s new headquarters at Accra International Airport (AIA), was chaired by the Director-General of the Authority, Rev. Stephen Wilfred Arthur.

It served as a prelude to a two-day engagement with key stakeholders within the aviation ecosystem to discuss the intended integration of UTM systems into existing manned Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.

The feasibility study is being sponsored by Indra.

The ongoing stakeholder engagements follow a similar collaboration in November 2025, when the GCAA hosted an interactive session with security agencies and commercial drone operators to identify challenges and gather stakeholder insights for the proposed UTM system.

During Monday’s meeting, Rev. Wilfred Arthur emphasised the importance of reviewing the Authority’s legal framework to ensure it has the proper mandate to implement the UTM system.

He stressed that both internal and external stakeholders must be consulted to provide input into the process.

On the issue of fees and charges, Rev. Arthur noted that Parliament recently passed the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) on Fees and Charges. He indicated that the GCAA would need to revisit the charges previously submitted to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General to determine whether they adequately address the use of UTM systems in Ghana.

In his view, a thorough review of fees relating to UTM use of Ghana’s airspace is necessary.

Referring to a recent statement by President John Dramani Mahama during his State of the Nation Address on Friday, 27 February 2026 — “we have moved decisively from planning to action” — Rev. Wilfred Arthur urged stakeholders to ensure that the feasibility study goes beyond documentation and is translated into concrete action.

He stressed the need for a clear roadmap outlining the necessary executive steps required to actualise the project.

Rev. Wilfred Arthur expressed gratitude to ALG and Indra for their commitment to the project and pledged the GCAA’s full support toward the successful implementation of the UTM system in Ghana.