Domestic airfares in Ghana are significantly higher than fares on selected routes in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and India, according to a fare survey conducted in September 2026.
The survey, which compared return economy-class fares, found that the average lowest fare across five Ghanaian routes was US$313.06, while the average highest fare was US$450.48.
For the 12 selected routes in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and India, the average lowest fare was US$181.50, while the average highest fare stood at US$227.
30% transport fare increase has not been suspended – GPRTU clarifies
This means Ghana’s average lowest fare was about 72% higher than the comparator average. At the upper end, Ghana’s average fare was almost twice the average highest fare recorded across the selected African and Indian routes.
How Ghana’s fares compare
The survey looked at five domestic routes from Accra.
A return flight from Accra to Kumasi had the lowest fare of US$275 and the highest of US$522.
For Accra to Tamale, fares ranged from US$318 to US$565, while Accra to Takoradi recorded fares between US$379 and US$493.
The Accra-Sunyani route had fares ranging from US$304 to US$352, while Accra-Wa recorded the lowest fare of US$290 and the highest of US$320.
The figures show that even some of Ghana’s shorter domestic routes can attract relatively high fares compared with similar journeys in other countries.
What happens in other countries?
The survey also compared Ghana’s fares with selected domestic routes in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and India.
In Nigeria, return fares from Lagos to Port Harcourt started at US$152 and went up to US$254.
The Lagos-Abuja route ranged from US$152 to US$280, while Lagos-Kano recorded fares between US$152 and US$199.
In South Africa, fares from Johannesburg to Cape Town ranged from US$287 to US$379. Johannesburg to Bloemfontein was between US$279 and US$308, while Johannesburg to Durban ranged from US$198 to US$234.
Kenya also recorded lower fares on the selected routes. A return trip from Nairobi to Mombasa ranged from US$202 to US$221, while Nairobi to Kisumu ranged from US$166 to US$191.
India recorded some of the lowest fares in the comparison. A return flight from Mumbai to Delhi, for example, ranged from US$133 to US$156.
Ghana is not more expensive than every foreign route
However, the figures do not mean that every foreign domestic flight is cheaper than flights in Ghana.
The survey also examined 16 domestic routes in Europe. The average lowest fare was US$191.25, about 39% lower than Ghana’s average lowest fare of US$313.06.
At the higher end, however, the average European domestic fare was US$448.31, almost the same as Ghana’s average highest fare of US$450.48.
European regional routes also recorded some higher maximum fares.
This means the main difference identified by the survey is particularly visible at the lower end of the fare range, where Ghanaian domestic flights were generally more expensive than those in the selected comparator markets.
How the survey was conducted
The fare check was carried out on September 6, 2026, using return travel dates from September 28 to October 5, 2026.
Ghanaian fares were obtained from airline websites, while selected African and Indian fares were sourced through Expedia. European fares were obtained through Google Flights.
The figures therefore do not establish that Ghanaian airlines are always more expensive than airlines in other countries.
Airfares can change depending on the travel date, booking period, airline, demand, taxes, seat availability and other factors.
ANAS/MA
Foundries, Machines and Jet Engines: Ghana’s untapped engineering potential
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
