The 10-member national airline taskforce is working to realize the country’s vision of once again flying its own carrier to reinforce Ghana’s position as a regional aviation hub, Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe said.
The minister, speaking at the maiden Transport and Logistics Fair in Accra, said the taskforce is developing a comprehensive and sustainable business model with key management policy to ensure the new airline’s success when in operation.
In May this year, the 10-member taskforce established by President John Mahama to oversee the creation of a new national airline for Ghana was inaugurated by the minister. The taskforce is chaired by Charles Asare, a former Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, with members including Twumasi Ankrah Selby as Vice Chairman, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare as Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, and aviation industry experts Hugh Tamakloe, Benjamin Ahlijah, and Patricia Bonsu.
The new airline, the minister explained, will create a competitive and sustainable carrier that reflects national ambition, self-reliance and a strong economic and logistical presence not only on the continent but globally.
Nikpe stated, “We have facilities at our national airport that other airlines are leveraging, as Ghanaians it is essential that we also benefit.” He further underscored the importance of participating actively in the aviation sector, noting that Ghana is the gateway to Africa and must take advantage of this strategic position to build a robust national carrier.
Nikpe outlined government’s vision to transform Ghana into a transportation hub, not only in aviation but also in maritime and road transport, stating their aim is to connect people within the sub-region and the world.
With the idea of a national airline gaining renewed momentum under this government, experts have said focus must not only be on connectivity but also job creation, technology transfer and economic diversification.
The Transport Ministry indicated that the taskforce will report periodically to the president and is expected to deliver a comprehensive roadmap for the airline’s launch in the coming months. The minister stressed that the airline will not be run as a purely state-owned entity, noting that government is looking at strategic partnerships that bring capital and expertise to the table.
Following the taskforce inauguration, North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa held discussions with senior Emirati officials in Abu Dhabi about technical support for the new national airline.
The absence of a reliable national carrier after Ghana Airways’ collapse has limited the country’s ability to maximize its full potential in regional and global aviation. Ghana Airways collapsed in 2004 to 2005 due to a combination of factors including debt exceeding 160 million United States dollars, political interference, mismanagement, operational inefficiencies and safety concerns that led to a ban on flights to the United States.
In 2004, the United States Department of Transportation banned the airline after discovering it had been operating unsafe aircraft on an out-of-date license, forcing it to cancel New York and Baltimore flights. The government was unwilling to provide more funding, leading to its final liquidation in June 2005.
Following its collapse, another national airline, Ghana International Airlines, was established in 2005 but also ceased operations in 2010.
