Here's when Ghana's new national airline will take off

Ghana’s Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has disclosed that the country is expected to formalise operations of the proposed national airline within the next 12 months.

According to Nikpe, all outstanding documentation and regulatory processes would be completed in time for the national carrier to commence operations.

“For some time, since Ghana Airways was liquidated, several attempts have been made to re-establish a national airline, but these efforts have not come to fruition.

“However, I firmly believe that under President Mahama, we have set up a task force, and the task force is working. Within the next 12 months, we will be celebrating a Ghanaian airline flying to the rest of the world.”

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The sector minister made these remarks while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the maiden flight of Air Tanzania at Kotoka International Airport on January 29, 2026.

He however did not provide further details regarding the airline’s ownership structure or fleet acquisition but mentioned that progress on the project was moving steadily.

Efforts to restore a national carrier in Ghana have faced challenges in the past. Ghana Airways ceased operations in 2004, followed by Ghana International Airlines in 2010. Subsequent proposals, both private and public, have also failed to materialise.

As part of renewed efforts, the government inaugurated a 10-member National Airline Task Force on May 8, 2025, to drive the revival of the carrier.

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The task force has been charged with developing a viable business model, engaging strategic and technical partners, overseeing regulatory approvals, and managing critical operational areas such as staffing, fleet acquisition, and route planning.

The task force is chaired by Charles Asare, former Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, and includes aviation professionals, former regulators, and Presidential Advisor Joyce Bawah Mogtari.

MA