A News Desk Story
Minister for Transport Joseph Bukari Nikpe has said the country’s renewed push to re-establish a national airline is central to its ambition of becoming the gateway to Africa.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 10-member National Airline Task Force at the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) headquarters in Accra, the minister stated that government views the new carrier not only as a commercial venture but also strategic national infrastructure designed to support tourism, trade and regional integration.
“For any country that wants to position itself as a gateway to a continent, the existence of a national airline is indispensable. This is not merely about national pride, it’s a platform to drive economic growth and deepen connectivity,” Mr. Nikpe said.
The move comes two decades after Ghana Airways’ collapse and follows several unsuccessful attempts to relaunch a national carrier. The latest effort is seen as the most coordinated yet, with the formation of a dedicated task force to guide the initiative.
The task force is chaired by Charles Asare, a former aviation executive, with Twumasi-A. Selby as Vice Chairman. Other members include Yvonne Opare, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Ellis Hugh-Tamakloe, Benjamin Ahlijah, Patricia Bonsu, Stephen Arthur, Daniel Acquah and Eric Tetteh-Addison, who serves as Member/Secretary.
Their mandate is to finalise the proposed carrier’s business model and operational framework, lead engagements with strategic and technical partners and ensure regulatory and certification compliance.
The team is also expected to facilitate initial operations, including staffing and aircraft acquisition.
In outlining the task force’s scope of work, the Transport Minister noted that Ghana’s aviation infrastructure – which has significantly upgraded over the past decade – remains underutilised.
“Our airports are among the best in the sub-region. Yet, without a national airline, we are handing over the benefits of our investment to foreign carriers,” he said.
Mr. Asare, the Task Force Chairman, pledged the team’s commitment to ensuring the airline’s foundation is commercially sound and sustainable. “This is a national assignment. We will deliver a business that is viable, competitive and in the long-term interest of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
Despite optimism surrounding the launch, there are concerns in some quarters about the economic viability of national carriers in emerging markets.
Aviation analysts note that several African countries have struggled to sustain state-backed airlines due to high capital requirements, fluctuating fuel costs and intense competition from established international carriers.
Industry observers have said that while national airlines can be politically attractive and symbolically important, they often face commercial headwinds.
For a country like Ghana, it has been said that the key will be to adopt a hybrid public-private model, maintain strict cost controls and ensure professional management free from political interference.
Government appears mindful of these risks. The sector minister stressed that the airline will not be run as a purely state-owned entity.
“We are looking at strategic partnerships that bring capital and expertise to the table,” he said, adding that details will be finalised and made public in due course.
The initiative has received high-level political backing, including from President John Dramani Mahama who has consistently championed the revival of a national airline as part of his government’s broader economic transformation agenda.
The Transport Ministry indicated that the task force will report periodically to the president through its office and is expected to deliver a comprehensive roadmap for the airline’s launch in the coming months.
Ghana was among the first countries in West Africa to operate a national airline, with Ghana Airways serving as a regional and intercontinental carrier from 1958 until its operations ceased in 2004 owing to a number of inefficiencies.
Its immediate successor, Ghana International Airlines, faced the same fate following its five-year stint from 2005 to 2010.
Since then, a number of private operators have attempted to fill the gap – but none have been able to match the scale or brand value of the defunct state carrier.
In recent years, countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda have demonstrated that national airlines can succeed in Africa if managed efficiently and positioned to capture regional transit traffic.
