New ANS Centre positioned as West Africa’s air traffic hub

By Joshua AMLANU

The newly inaugurated Air Navigation Services (ANS) Centre in Accra positions Ghana as a regional hub for air traffic control and aviation safety in West Africa.

The six-storey facility, one of the largest of its kind on the continent, is designed to manage growing air traffic volumes while supporting Ghana’s ambition to lead aviation operations in the sub-region.

This development is part of broader restructuring in the aviation sector, which includes formal separation of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA) regulatory functions from its air navigation services role. The ANS Agency’s creation, backed by legislation passed in 2020 and 2021, aligns Ghana with international civil aviation standards and is aimed at improving safety, accountability and operational efficiency.

President John Dramani Mahama, who commissioned the facility, said the move reflects Ghana’s commitment to building a “21st-century aviation ecosystem anchored on safety, inter-agency collaboration and global best practices”.

“The ANS building’s commissioning consolidates our efforts to make Ghana a leading aviation hub,” he said. “To achieve that, we must invest not only in terminals and runways but also the invisible backbone of air travel — air navigation and safety oversight.”

The facility includes advanced air-to-ground and ground-to-ground communication systems, air traffic management, surveillance tools, weather monitoring equipment and aeronautical information services. It will serve as the operational base for air traffic controllers, engineers and navigation professionals overseeing Ghana’s Flight Information Region.

Rev. Stephen Wilfred Arthur, Director General of the GCAA, said the facility “will support the 24-hour economy and ensure every flight is guided safely and efficiently.”

He also highlighted the Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems’ launch, describing them as a timely response to rising aviation-related threats.

These digital systems are now operational under the newly established Multi-Agency Command Centre (MACC) and Passenger Information Unit (PIU), designed to enhance Ghana’s border security. The API/PNR infrastructure allows real-time passenger data sharing across immigration, Customs and security agencies – a major upgrade from the previous paper-based processes.

Francis Bullen Gavor, CEO-Rock Africa and project coordinator for the API/PNR rollout, said the system is essential for pre-arrival intelligence and inter-agency coordination.

“We’re no longer fighting today’s threats with yesterday’s tools,” he said, noting the system’s capacity to flag risks and improve processing times for legitimate travellers.

The platform also sets a foundation for further digital reforms, including introduction of an e-visa system, expansion to land and seaports and deployment of e-gates at major airports, according to President Mahama.

The ANS Centre is expected to enhance the country’s ability to manage airspace efficiently, reduce flight delays and improve safety oversight – outcomes that are critical to attracting more regional and international carriers.

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