Africa World Airlines (AWA) has taken delivery of its first Embraer E190 aircraft, marking a significant fleet upgrade for Ghana’s leading domestic and regional carrier, with the airline’s Founder, Togbe Afede XIV, crediting the government’s recent import duty exemptions for making the acquisition more viable.
The new 100-seater aircraft arrived at Kotoka International Airport on Saturday, September 19, 2026, and forms part of AWA’s broader strategy to expand its operations across Africa and strengthen connectivity between the continent and the rest of the world. The E190, which nearly doubles the capacity of AWA’s existing 50-seater Embraer 145 fleet, is the first of several aircraft the airline plans to acquire over the next year.
Government Support Acknowledged
Speaking at the arrival ceremony, Togbe Afede XIV—whose speech was delivered on his behalf by Yvonne Botchwey, Managing Director of the World Trade Centre, Accra—expressed gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for the import duty exemptions recently announced for domestic airlines.
“We are particularly grateful to His Excellency President John Mahama for the import duty exemptions he announced recently for domestic airlines,” Togbe Afede said. “We at AWA are committed to supporting his vision for the transport sector, and I am happy to be able to say that our experience has prepared us to partner the government in the establishment of the National Carrier”.
The duty exemption, enacted under the new Ghana Customs Act, 2026, removes duties and taxes on aircraft spare parts imported by domestic airlines—a long-sought concession aimed at lowering operating costs and improving the sector’s financial sustainability. The measure followed sustained lobbying by Ghana’s two main domestic carriers, AWA and PassionAir.
AWA’s Chief Operating Officer, Sohail Mahmood, described the policy change as transformative. “Ghana historically levies some of the highest aviation taxes on the continent, and although we have successfully navigated this environment, this policy change fundamentally improves our operational economics,” he said. “Ultimately, this exemption provides substantial financial relief and strongly supports our strategy to expand AWA beyond a regional carrier”.
Fleet Expansion and Regional Ambitions
The E190 delivery comes less than two months after AWA relaunched its Accra-Abidjan-Accra route on August 31, 2026—a move Togbe Afede described as another step towards fulfilling the airline’s mission. “Today’s event is the next step in our journey towards the fulfilment of our mission to connect all of Africa, and to link Africa to the world,” he said.
The airline’s name, he noted, reflects its pan-African ambition. “Our name is the first clue that Africa World does not intend to restrict itself to domestic operations. And our new E190 is the first of several that we intend to acquire over the next one year to aid the fulfilment of our vision of supporting the development of Africa”.
AWA plans to incorporate a second E190 by the end of 2026, with ambitions to operate as many as ten of the type within the next 18 to 24 months, depending on route performance and network expansion. The aircraft, registration 9G-FDA, was acquired from Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines and is powered by two General Electric CF34-10E turbofan engines, offering a maximum range of approximately 4,445 kilometres.
The Economics of Domestic Aviation
Togbe Afede also used the occasion to address the persistent challenge of high domestic airfares in Ghana, attributing them to foreign exchange costs, customs duties, low passenger numbers, and limited airport operating hours. He explained that domestic airlines operate in the same global market for inputs as foreign carriers but face significantly different local conditions.
“Most of the inputs in the domestic aviation sector are imported, with foreign exchange and customs duty implications; passenger numbers do not allow for maximum aircraft utilisation; and local airport operating hours limit aircraft utilisation in many cases,” he said.
He noted that limited passenger numbers are the primary reason there are no direct flight connections between most African countries, forcing travellers to route through Europe when moving between African nations. He also pointed to the difficult history of Ghana’s aviation industry, noting that when AWA commenced operations in 2012, several domestic airlines were already in existence—none of which survived, and Ghana’s two attempts at operating national airlines had ended in failure.
AWA itself only paid its first dividend in 2025, after 13 years of flight operations, underscoring the challenging economics of the sector.
Background: AWA and Togbe Afede XIV
Africa World Airlines was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between Hainan Airlines, the China-Africa Development Fund, SSNIT, and SAS Finance Group, with Togbe Afede XIV as its visionary founder. The airline commenced flight operations on September 21, 2012, with services from Accra to Kumasi and Tamale using two Embraer 145 aircraft. Over the past 14 years, it has grown to operate eight aircraft across ten destinations in Ghana and West Africa, carrying over five million passengers.
Togbe Afede XIV, born James Komla Akpo in Ho on April 23, 1957, is the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State and a prominent investment banker. A product of Labone Secondary School and the University of Ghana, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1979, he also studied at Yale University. He is the Chairman of the World Trade Centre Accra, a member of the Council of State, and has served on numerous corporate and public boards. His investment portfolio spans aviation, education, agriculture, and energy.
National Carrier Ambitions
The E190 delivery comes amid renewed government efforts to establish a national carrier. In July 2026, the Ministry of Transport inaugurated a 10-member task force to develop a roadmap for the revival of a Ghanaian flag carrier, with an initial rollout targeted for the first quarter of 2027. The government has invited private investors to partner in the venture through a public-private partnership model, with strategic partners expected to hold up to 75 percent equity while Ghana retains 25 percent.
Togbe Afede’s offer to partner with the government in establishing the national carrier positions AWA as a potential key player in that initiative, leveraging its 14 years of operational experience in the challenging West African aviation environment.
With its new E190 now in service and additional aircraft on the horizon, AWA appears poised to enter its most ambitious expansion phase yet—one that could reshape regional connectivity and bring Ghana closer to its long-held ambition of becoming a leading aviation hub in West Africa.
