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 Stellamarie Ndunge Akhwale, Country Manager of Qatar Airways and BARGH representative, at the AviationGhana Fifth Breakfast Meeting held in Accra on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
The meeting, themed 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. More than 100 participants including airline operators, government officials and aviation regulators attended the forum.
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 and cannot afford to lose that edge through policies that make airport charges uncompetitive.
She commended member airlines for continued contributions to the national economy and welcomed new entrants expanding connectivity into and out of Accra. Akhwale cited one-year operations of Ibom Air on the Lagos to Accra route, entry of United Nigeria Airlines and Air Tanzania into the Ghanaian market, and increased flight frequencies by Turkish Airlines and Delta Air Lines as strengthening Ghana’s global connectivity.
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 Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API/PNR) fee introduced on February 1, 2026, and a proposed $100 Airport Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC) scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2026.
According to Akhwale, if implemented as planned, the charges would increase total international passenger fees to $173 for a one-way ticket and $243 for a return ticket. This would place Ghana among the 10 most expensive countries globally in terms of passenger charges and third highest in Africa behind only Gabon and Sierra Leone.
She noted the proposed increases run contrary to a December 2025 directive by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which called for a 25 percent reduction in regional passenger charges by 2026 to stimulate air traffic growth across member states. ECOWAS has rightly demanded elimination of air transport taxes and reduction in passenger and security charges to make travel more affordable.
Citing a 2024 study by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Akhwale said high taxes and charges remained the biggest barrier to regional connectivity, passenger growth and airline sustainability on the continent. Average global airport charges on return trips range between $30 and $34, while the African rate hovers around $68. West Africa records one of the highest regional averages at approximately $110 per return trip.
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 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. Akhwale suggested that modest airport drop-off fees and other commercial initiatives could generate an estimated $33 million annually while preserving passenger growth and airline viability.
Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare defended the AIDC, explaining that revenue would be paid into a dedicated fund and escrow account managed by the Ministry of Transport for airport infrastructure development. She said the charge aims to fund construction of a connecting concourse between Terminals 2 and 3 at Kotoka International Airport (KIA), a 10-aircraft-capacity Northern Apron parking bay, and a 2,000-capacity multi-storey car park at KIA Terminal 3.
Opare emphasized long-term benefits of infrastructure investment, asking stakeholders to imagine continuing to rely solely on Terminal 2 had Terminal 3 not been built. She acknowledged infrastructure expansion comes at a cost and urged accountability to ensure projects are completed on schedule.
Parliament passed the AIDC legislation in December 2025, setting charges at $100 for international passengers and GH₵100 for domestic travellers. The Committee on Roads and Transport confirmed the Airport Passenger Service Charge (APSC) for international travel would rise from GH₵5, unchanged since 2014, to GH₵100.
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Director-General Reverend Stephen Wilfred Arthur called for deeper collaboration among stakeholders, airport authorities and government agencies to achieve Ghana’s ambition of becoming an aviation hub in the sub-region.
Akhwale 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. The shared objective must be to ensure Ghana remains open, affordable and attractive for tourism, trade and investment.
