Aviation Leaders Convene in Accra to Chart Ghana’s Air Transport Future | By Joojo Maapa
Ghana’s aviation sector will come under sharp focus on February 10, 2026, when senior government officials, airline executives, regulators and international aviation bodies gather in Accra for the 5th AviationGhana Breakfast Meeting, an industry forum that has become a bellwether for policy direction and market sentiment in the country’s air transport sector.
The meeting, themed: “Advancing Ghana’s Aviation Sector: Policy, Connectivity, and Sustainable Growth,” comes as Ghana faces mounting pressure to defend its position as a preferred aviation and logistics gateway in West Africa amid intensifying regional competition and tightening global sustainability requirements.
The forum is expected to be addressed by Ghana’s Minister for Transport, Hon. Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, underscoring the growing recognition of aviation as a strategic economic enabler rather than a standalone transport subsector.
At the centre of the programme is a high-level panel discussion. The key session address will be delivered by Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA Vice President for Africa and the Middle East. Panelists include the Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Rev. Stephen W. Arthur; Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Yvonne Nana Afriyiye Opare; CEO of the Ghana Tourism Developmernt Company Limited, Prof. Kobby Mensah; and President of the Ghana Association of Travel and Tour Agents, Mr. Frank Annin-Bonsu.
The panel is expected to probe whether Ghana’s current aviation policy framework is aligned with its ambition to deepen connectivity, attract new airlines and sustain long-term growth.
Key issues likely to dominate discussions include the cost structure of operating in Ghana, the effectiveness of bilateral air service agreements, infrastructure readiness at Kotoka International Airport and secondary airports, and the role of regulatory certainty in driving airline investment.
Participants are also expected to explore how aviation policy can be better synchronised with tourism development and trade facilitation to maximise economic spillovers.
Sustainability will be a major thread running through the discussions, reflecting mounting pressure on African aviation markets to respond to global decarbonisation targets.
Panelists are expected to assess the feasibility of Sustainable Aviation Fuel development in Ghana, the financing challenges associated with greener infrastructure, and how African carriers can balance environmental obligations with profitability.
The event powered by AviationGhana, West Africa’s only aviation-focused news publication that is listed on PressReader alongside world renowned brands such as The Economist, Wall Street Journal, and El Pais among others.
Since its establishment in 2017, the AviationGhana Breakfast Meeting has championed the abolishing of VAT on domestic air fares, visa reciprocity arrangement between Ghana and some countries in Africa such as the Republic of South Africa, streamlining of VAT on imported aircraft parts, and increase in domestic APSA charge among others.
