The Board of Airline Representatives Ghana (BARGH) has warned that increasing passenger taxes and airport charges could undermine Ghana’s aviation growth and weaken its competitiveness within the West African sub-region.
The caution was delivered by Madam Stellamarie Ndunge Akhwale, a representative of BARGH, at the AviationGhana Fifth Breakfast Meeting 2026 held in Accra.
The meeting, on the theme “Advancing Ghana’s Aviation Sector: Policy, Connectivity, and Sustainable Growth,” brought together industry stakeholders to assess policy directions and chart a path for sustained sector expansion.
Madam Akhwale said Ghana had worked steadily to consolidate its position as a key aviation gateway to West Africa through resilient airline operations and supportive government policies.
She cautioned, however, that excessive levies could erode that advantage.
“Ghana has built a strong reputation as a preferred hub in the region. We cannot afford to lose that edge through policies that make our airport charges uncompetitive,” she said.
She commended member airlines for their continued contribution to the national economy and welcomed new entrants that were expanding connectivity into and out of Accra.
She cited the one-year operations of Ibom Air on the Lagos–Accra route, as well as the entry of United Nigeria Airlines and Air Tanzania into the Ghanaian market.
Madam Akhwale also acknowledged increased flight frequencies by Turkish Airlines and Delta Air Lines, noting that these developments had strengthened Ghana’s global connectivity and reinforced its hub status.
Despite the growth, she expressed concern over newly introduced and proposed charges that could significantly raise the cost of air travel.
She referenced the 18-dollar Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) fee, introduced on February 1, 2026, as well as a proposed 100-dollar Airport Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC) scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2026.
According to her, if implemented as planned, the charges would increase total international passenger fees to 173 dollars for a one-way ticket and 243 dollars for a return ticket.
She said this would place Ghana among the 10 most expensive countries globally in terms of passenger charges and the third highest in Africa.
Madam Akhwale noted that the proposed increases ran contrary to a December 2025 directive by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which called for a 25 per cent reduction in regional passenger charges by 2026 to stimulate air traffic growth across member states.
Citing a 2024 study by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), she said high taxes and charges remained the biggest barrier to regional connectivity, passenger growth and airline sustainability on the continent.
She warned that excessive levies could lead to revenue leakage, as travellers may opt for neighbouring hubs such as Lomé in Togo and Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, where charges are comparatively lower.
Such a shift, she said, could reduce visiting-friends-and-family travel, affect tourism inflows and weaken Ghana’s position as a preferred transit and destination market.
To address the challenge, BARGH proposed a hybrid revenue model that would combine a lower AIDC with alternative non-aeronautical revenue streams.
Madam Akhwale suggested that modest airport drop-off fees and other commercial initiatives could generate an estimated 33 million dollars annually while preserving passenger growth and airline viability.
She called for enhanced collaboration among government agencies, regulators and industry players to strike a balance between revenue generation and maintaining Ghana’s accessibility and competitiveness.
“Our shared objective must be to ensure that Ghana remains open, affordable and attractive for tourism, trade and investment,” she said.
