Airlines Serving Accra Airport to Earn $4.50 Per Passenger in 2026 | By Dominick Andoh
International airlines operating services to and from Ghana’s Accra International Airport are projected to make an average net profit of just $4.50 per passenger in 2026.
The figures, contained in new data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), expose the growing financial pressure on airlines, with payment processing costs potentially exceeding the net profit generated from each passenger.
IATA estimates that airlines spend an average of $5 per passenger processing transactions, while its 2026 industry outlook forecasts a net profit of $4.50 per passenger.
This means that the average cost of processing a passenger’s payment is approximately 50 cents higher than the projected net profit airlines will earn from that passenger.
The comparison highlights the delicate economics of international air transport, where airlines must contend with substantial operating expenses, capital investment requirements and intense competition while generating relatively small profits from each passenger carried.
For international carriers serving Accra, the figures offer an indication of the financial pressures within the global aviation market, particularly as airlines seek to sustain operations, invest in fleet and service improvements, and manage rising transaction costs.
The broader payment cost challenge is reflected in IATA’s latest figures, which show that airlines globally spent $24.5 billion processing $1.05 trillion in sales in 2025.
Total payment costs increased by 10.4 per cent compared with 2023, significantly exceeding the 7.7 per cent growth in airline sales over the same period.
Direct payment fees accounted for $20.7 billion, representing 84.5 per cent of the total cost, while airline operating expenses associated with payment processing amounted to $2.9 billion.
An additional $900 million was lost through fraud and uncollected sales.
Card payments were identified as the most expensive payment channel, with average fees of 2.53 per cent, above the estimated overall average of 1.97 per cent. Some alternative payment methods, however, attract transaction fees as low as 0.01 per cent.
The difference between the $5 average payment processing cost and the projected $4.50 net profit per passenger is particularly significant for an industry where profitability depends on carrying large passenger volumes and maintaining tight control over operating expenses.
IATA Interim Director General and Chief Financial Officer Sandrine Le Borgne said the rising cost of processing payments was becoming unsustainable, particularly given the industry’s low-margin business model.
She stressed that airlines needed to examine every cost component carefully, adding that payment transaction expenses were growing faster than industry revenues despite advances in technology.
In response, IATA is encouraging airlines to adopt lower-cost payment alternatives, including digital wallets and local instant payment solutions.
Its 2025 Global Passenger Survey found that 29 per cent of passengers preferred digital wallets, while eight per cent favoured local instant payment methods.
Through initiatives such as IATA Pay and the IATA Financial Gateway, the association is seeking to help airlines reduce transaction costs while providing passengers with more convenient payment options.
Airlines Serving Accra Airport to Earn $4.50 Per Passenger in 2026 | Send all advertising enquiries and press releases to AviationGhana.info@gmail.com
