GACL Maintains Lawful Termination of Contract for McDan Aviation Handling Services, Files Lawsuit in Response
The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has reiterated that its decision to terminate the operating licence of McDan Aviation Handling Services Limited at the Accra International Airport was lawful and in line with the terms of the agreement between the two parties.
In a statement issued in Accra, the airport authority rejected allegations of unfair treatment and any suggestion that it had shown disrespect to the court in relation to the termination of the licence for operations at Terminal 1.
According to GACL, the agreement with McDan Aviation was formally terminated on January 16, 2026 after several demands were made for the company to settle outstanding financial obligations between January 2025 and January 2026.
The airport operator said the aviation services company had used state assets for years without making the required payments, resulting in revenue losses to the state.
GACL further explained that it informed McDan Aviation on January 27, 2026 and again on February 12, 2026 that any payments made after the termination would only be treated as settlement of outstanding debt and would not lead to the reinstatement of the terminated contract.
Despite this, the company made a payment in February 2026 which, according to GACL, covered only about half of the total debt owed.
The airport authority also disclosed that the broader McDan Group still owes substantial sums related to approximately 16 acres of land it occupies at the airport enclave.
GACL said the company has not paid the heavily discounted principal amount of about US$4 million for the subleased land, yet has developed portions of the land with commercial properties that have been rented out.
Addressing claims that it had disregarded a court order, GACL clarified that legal processes filed by McDan Aviation were brought to the attention of its management on the morning of March 11, 2026.
By that time, the evacuation of all items from the designated areas in Terminal 1 had already been completed on March 10, 2026.
According to the airport authority, the court documents served on it included a writ and a motion on notice but did not contain any sealed injunction or restraining order preventing the removal of items from the terminal.
GACL stated that it has since filed its response to the suit brought by McDan Aviation and remains committed to upholding the rule of law while ensuring the proper management of national assets.
The airport operator added that it will continue to enforce contractual obligations and protect state resources under its mandate.
