The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has firmly dismissed claims of unfair treatment and contempt of court made by McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited, following the termination of its Fixed Base Operation (FBO) licence at Terminal 1 of Kotoka International Airport. The airport operator explained that repeated demands for payment were issued between January 2025 and January 2026, but the company failed to honor its financial obligations, prompting the final decision.
“GACL has endured exploitation and the use of State assets by McDan Aviation Handling Services without payment for years, resulting in significant revenue losses to the state,” the company stated. “Any that any payment made after the termination of the agreement would only be treated as a partial settlement of the debt and would not reinstate the contract.
We specifically informed McDan Aviation on the 27th of January 2026 and the 12th of February 2026 that any payment made post-termination would be treated as settlement of the substantial debt owed GACL and would not revive the terminated contract”, GACL stated in a statement sighted by Citi News.
It went on further to disclose that what McDan Aviation even paid in February 2026 was only half of the debt owed adding that McDan Group still owes some substantial sums of money including the 16 acres of land which it occupies with no right of entry and has till date, not paid even a cedi on the heavily discounted consideration or principal amount of about $4million USD for the subleased lands. Yet McDan Group is said to have built on portions of these lands and has rented same out profiting at the expense of GACL.
Reaction to defied court order
On allegations that it defied a court injunction, GACL explained that the company was only formally notified of the legal processes on the morning of March 11, 2026, by which time the removal of items from the designated areas at Terminal 1 had already been completed on March 10, 2026.
The airport operator maintained that the court documents served on it comprised a writ and a motion on notice, but did not include a sealed injunction order restraining GACL from removing the items from the facility.
“The removal of the items occurred one clear day before management became aware of any court processes,” GACL said, adding that the filing primarily sought an order for the reopening of the terminal rather than an injunction to halt the action.
The removal of the items from Terminal 1 occurred on March 10, 2026, one clear day before Management was aware of any court processes. The Processes did not include a sealed order of injunction from the Court.
Counter allegations
This latest explanation by management of GACL comes after McDan Aviation disputed the report of the termination, arguing that the contract governing its operations at Terminal 1 required GACL to provide a 90-day notice before eviction. McDan Aviation further alleged that despite being served with a motion for interlocutory injunction, officials of GACL forcibly entered the terminal in the early hours of March 11, 2026, and removed equipment belonging to the company.
This act, McDan Aviation described as a breach of contractual obligations and a disregard for ongoing judicial proceedings, indicating that it will pursue legal remedies to challenge the termination of its licence. GACL, however, insists that it acted within its contractual rights and maintains that it remains committed to safeguarding state assets and upholding the rule of law as the dispute proceeds through the courts.
“We remain committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the orderly management of national assets. GACL has officially responded to the suit filed in Court by McDan Aviation”, the statement concluded.
Source: Nii Larte Lartey
