Ghana is preparing to return to the skies with a new national airline, ending nearly two decades without a flagship carrier. The announcement was made by transport minister, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, on Jan. 28 at Kotoka International Airport.
Ghana: A Country Without an Airline
For the past two decades, Ghana has struggled to operate a national airline, despite many attempts. Ghana Airways, formerly the country’s flagship carrier, ceased operations in 2005.
The opening of Ghana International Airlines in 2005 gave hope, but the airline ceased operations in 2010. Ashanti Airlines won a bid in 2017 to revive the project, but that project fell through after failing to meet deadlines. However, Nikpe is hopeful this time, stating:
“Within the next 12 months, we will be celebrating a Ghanaian airline flying to the rest of the world”
Ghana’s Hopes for the Future
An airline task team of 10 was created in May 2025 to oversee the development of a national carrier. This includes route planning, staffing, and fleet acquisition. The team is chaired by Charles Asare, former managing director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, and is made up of aviation professionals and former regulators.
Despite the team being formed by the government, Nikpe plans not have any government equity hold in this carrier. He aims at having a commercial business model, saying:
“The business model is being made, and then we will go, but we as a government will not want to hold many shares in it; it will be definitely a partnership that we will use to create or re-establish a national airline”
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