Once again, the prospect of a national airline for Ghana, has been thrust into the spotlight. The Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has announced that plans are far advanced for the reintroduction of a national carrier, assuring Ghanaians that within the next 12 months the country will be celebrating a Ghanaian airline flying to destinations across the world.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony marking Air Tanzania’s inaugural flight to Accra, the Minister underscored the government’s renewed commitment to restoring Ghana’s presence in global aviation. According to him, a task force established under the vision of President John Dramani Mahama is already at work and making steady progress toward delivering a new national airline.
Indeed, in May 2025, President Mahama set up a 10-member task force to oversee the creation of a sustainable national carrier capable of competing with other African airlines. The team is chaired by Charles Asare, former Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, and is expected to navigate the complex technical, financial and operational challenges that come with establishing a viable airline.
This renewed push, however, is not Ghana’s first attempt to revive its national carrier. The government of President Nana Akufo-Addo, as far back as February 2017, invited private investors to partner with the state under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to establish a new airline. That effort was intended to replace the defunct Ghana International Airlines, which collapsed after years of mismanagement and political interference.
At the time, the then Minister of Aviation, Ms Cecilia Dapaah, indicated that several proposals from private investors were under consideration and that more were welcome. She even assured Parliament that Ghana would have a new national airline by 2019, an assurance that ultimately failed to materialise.
The painful history goes further back. Ghana Airways, once the pride of the nation, collapsed in 2005 under the weight of heavy debt and poor management. Since then, successive governments have made repeated attempts to resurrect a national carrier, none of which has succeeded.
We are, therefore, back at the drawing board again with another promise to bring back Ghana’s national airline. While the vision is laudable and the potential benefits immense, history demands a healthy dose of caution. This newspaper hopes that this latest effort will break the cycle of grand announcements followed by disappointment.
A national airline is not a luxury but a strategic asset for economic growth, tourism, trade and national pride. If countries still grappling with the aftermath of war can sustain thriving national carriers, Ghana certainly cannot afford to remain without one. This time, the government must move beyond promises and truly walk the talk.
Source: theheraldghana.com
