If Ghana is to achieve its strategic ambition of establishing Accra as a primary aviation hub for West Africa, policymakers can no longer treat the high domestic airfares as the new normal.
Following an empirical look at the high ticket prices and underlying structural cost drivers in the country’s aviation sector, legal practitioner and competition economist Appiah Kusi Adomako, Esq. outlines four concrete policy recommendations to enable the government to reset the exorbitant prices.
The West Africa Regional Director of CUTS International calls on the Ministry of Transport, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to implement targeted policy reforms to bring domestic ticket prices back within reach of the average worker.
Conduct Comparative Cost Studies Across Emerging Markets
To make informed interventions, the government must first understand why airlines in similar developing economies operate at significantly lower costs. Appiah Kusi Adomako recommends that state authorities conduct a rigorous comparative cost study analyzing selected emerging markets where domestic flying remains affordable.
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By benchmarking the full operational cost structures of airlines in those countries against Ghana’s aviation ecosystem, policymakers can pinpoint specific local cost-inflated areas, such as ground handling, fuel logistics, and administrative overheads, and design targeted remedies.
Slash or Eliminate Mandatory Airport Infrastructure Charges
The consumer protection advocate affirms that government taxes and statutory fees directly push up baseline ticket prices. He specifically highlights the GH¢100 Airport Infrastructure Development Charge levied on domestic travelers.
Because this flat fee adds GH¢200 to every return ticket, it places a disproportionate burden on short domestic routes where baseline fares are already sensitive. Removing or scaling down this charge would immediately deliver direct price relief to passengers and lower the minimum viable fare airlines must charge.
Incentivize New Entrants and Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs)
Ghana’s domestic airspace currently functions with limited competition, serviced by only two commercial airlines. To break this constraint, the government should create favorable regulatory and operating conditions designed to attract new airlines, with an explicit emphasis on low-cost carriers (LCCs).
Introducing new market players expands overall seat capacity, offers passengers wider choices, and forces existing operators to compete aggressively on price and service quality.
Strengthen Competition Oversight and Market Monitoring
While market concentration alone does not prove improper behavior or price collusion, thin duopolies require active regulatory scrutiny.
Appiah Kusi Adomako advocates for the GCAA to strengthen its competition oversight by conducting regular market reviews and maintaining open, constructive engagement with industry stakeholders. Routine monitoring ensures a fair, contestable market, prevents potential anti-competitive practices, and protects long-term consumer welfare without harming airline sustainability.
The Bottomline
The consumer protection advocate believes that with these policy measures, the cost of airfares in the country will become affordable, promote shift movement, and drive economic growth. In addition, it will also propel the government’s agenda to establish Ghana as an aviation hub in the sub-region.
