The Paramount Chief of the Sempe Traditional Area, Nii Adote Otintor II, has called on the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to halt what he described as a “hostile takeover” of McDan Aviation at the airport’s Terminal 1 facility in Accra.
GACL on March 12, 2026, terminated its Fixed Base Operation (FBO) agreement with McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited following prolonged disputes over unpaid licence fees, rent, and royalties at Accra International Airport.
Since the termination, the two organisations have accused each other of breaching the contract they both worked with.
McDan, on its part, said that GACL’s actions not only violated the terms of their agreement but also disregarded ongoing judicial proceedings related to the dispute. While GACL insisted that the agreement with McDan Aviation was formally terminated on January 16, 2026, after the company allegedly failed to meet its financial obligations under the contract, including licence fees, rent, and royalties.
In a statement issued from the Sempe Stool on March 14, the chief urged authorities to restore McDan Aviation’s access to its FBO terminal and ensure that the dispute is resolved through lawful procedures.
According to Nii Adote Otintor II, the incident occurred despite a court injunction reportedly served on the airport authority a day earlier.
“The events represent not just a breach of contract, but an assault on the very spirit of Ghanaian entrepreneurship and a blatant defiance of our judicial system,” he said.
The Sempe chief also accused the airport authority of ignoring a mandatory 90-day notice period required for eviction under the contractual agreement, arguing that the move undermines investments made by the indigenous aviation firm.
He further noted that while McDan Aviation experienced a brief delay in payments due to global economic pressures, the company had acted in good faith to settle outstanding obligations.
Nii Adote Otintor II warned that actions perceived as targeting local investors could discourage indigenous entrepreneurship and weaken investor confidence in the country.
“The optics of this takeover are troubling. When local investors feel unsafe in their own country, we kill the motivation for future generations to take plausible investment risks,” he said.
He, therefore, called on the government and the Ministry of Transport to intervene by restraining GACL from further actions against the company, reinstating McDan Aviation to its Terminal 1 facility and ensuring that any dispute is handled through proper legal and contractual channels.
McDan Aviation, part of the McDan Group, operates aviation services including private jet handling and ground support at the airport.
The Sempe Traditional Council said it would continue to advocate for what it described as fair treatment for indigenous businesses operating within the Ga State and across the country.
CitiNewsRoom
