Celebrated Ghanaian pilot and the first ever pilot to fly the biggest aircraft in the world, the A380 in Ghana, Captain Solomon Quainoo has said the country could become a hub the in the West African sub-region and in Africa given the enormous potential that the aviation sector has to offer.
Speaking in Ghana at the official launch of his book, Flutter Until You Fly”, Quainoo said the global demand for pilots presents a magnificent opportunity to build and operate a modern flight school and produce good competent world class aviators in the country adding that with strong engineering programs in schools, Ghana can become a true aviation hub not just for the sub region but the entire continent, with global reach.
He said as the possibilities in aviation goes, becoming a pilot barely scratches the surface of what is possible.
“To put the enormity of the opportunity in perspective, when I landed the maiden Airbus A380, the biggest commercial plane known to man in Accra, it was historical and acclaimed a big deal. I understood its significance and symbolism. However, imagine having those A380 flights to Ghana daily.
“For many years, Mauritius, a small African country with a population of less than 2 million, a fraction of Ghana has been receiving and sending those same A380 daily. Emirates operates Airbus A380 twice daily to Mauritius and sometimes 3 times daily. The global demand for pilots presents a magnificent opportunity to build and operate a modern flight school and produce good competent world class aviators. With strong engineering programs in our schools, we can become a true aviation hub not just for the sub region but the entire continent, with global reach. The airline maintenance culture requires efficient and masterfully trained expertise which presents a marvelous niche for good and well- paying jobs.
“United Arab Emirates, glad to be represented by the Ambassador, His Excellency Khalifa Yousif Alzaabi, gave me that opportunity and have shown what is possible in aviation. Ethiopia, our African neighbours is a force to be reckoned with and have demonstrated that it is possible.
“Nananom, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. In the words of Martin Luther King Jnr; I have a dream. A dream deeply rooted in the possibilities the aviation industry present in modern day Ghana.
“I have a dream that Ghana will one day rise and live out it’s true role as a major global aviation hub by becoming the destination of choice, with world class maintenance facilities, manning first class engineers trained in our flight schools and universities, I have a dream.
“I have a dream that one day, every Ghanaian child who aspires to become an aviator, will have access to world class educational and training facilities here at home, with the resources to empower achieving their aviation dream. I have a dream! From private and charter planes to mammoth commercial routes, I have a dream, that one day and soon, Ghana will rise and make its true mark as a global aviation center. I have a dream!”
