Accra: The cost of flying within Ghana has become unbearable. What used to be a convenient alternative for the ordinary traveller has now become a luxury.
According to Ghana Web, just a few years ago, a one-way ticket from Accra to Kumasi was selling for GHS449. Even last year, a round trip from Accra to Kumasi and back to Accra was GHS1,500. Today, the same route goes for GHS4,700 and sometimes over GHS5,000. Travellers are questioning how a 45-minute flight can cost more than flying to Abidjan.
The airlines blame fuel costs and the cedi, but the truth is simple: Ghana's domestic skies are controlled by only two airlines-Africa World Airlines (AWA) and PassionAir. It is a classic duopoly.
Since April 1, 2026, the government has introduced the Airport Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC) of GHS100 one-way on all domestic tickets. Both AWA and PassionAir passed it directly on to passengers. While the government says it is for airport upgrades, passengers are the ones bleeding.
The Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) herself has admitted it. She told Parliament that the high cost is due to the duopoly of domestic airlines, currently limited to PassionAir and Africa World Airlines.
And what happens when people cannot afford to fly? They are forced onto roads that are plagued with accidents and poor conditions, such as the Accra-Kumasi Highway and the Accra-Takoradi stretch. Ghanaians are avoiding road travel because of these dangers, and the two airlines are taking advantage of that fear to keep prices high.
The Ministry of Transport and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) must, as a matter of urgency, license more domestic airlines. GACL has already said it is working to attract more carriers because competition will force prices down. GCAA has also confirmed that at least two new local operators are at an advanced stage of approval.
Ghana has over 30 million people, with busy commercial routes to Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, and Sunyani. Two airlines cannot serve a whole nation. We need at least four or five domestic carriers competing on price, service, and safety. Until this duopoly is broken, Ghanaian travellers will continue to pay the price for the failure to open up the skies.