The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has explained why some prospective airlines seeking to enter the country’s domestic aviation market are unable to complete the certification process, pointing to the demanding regulatory requirements that applicants must satisfy.
Director-General of the GCAA, Rev Stephen Wilfred Arthur, said the Authority remains open to new players but will not compromise safety and security to increase competition. “Yeah, we are very much open, and we create a level playing field for all prospective applicants or airlines, without any discrimination, whether you are from here or from there,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday.
According to him, applicants who meet the requirements are supported through the necessary regulatory processes. “Once you go through the checklist in terms of the requirements, we will support you, and we will do the needful, as we have always been doing, to ensure that you come up and become a successful airline,” he said.
However, Rev Arthur said the greater responsibility lies with applicants to satisfy the requirements. “But suffice it to say that the greater burden is not so much on the regulator, but on the applicant to meet all the necessary requirements,” he stated.
Aviation is Heavily Regulated
He said this is critical because aviation is governed by strict rules designed to protect passengers and aircraft. “At all times, we will never compromise on safety and security just for the sake of injecting the space with more players,” he stressed.
Rev Arthur said the certification process is guided not only by local regulations but also by international standards. “Our industry, that is the air transport or aviation industry, is heavily regimented or regulated,” he said. “In other words, everything goes by very strict, predetermined rules of engagement.”
He added that failure to follow those rules could have serious consequences. “Whenever we break the rules, we are actually going to endanger lives by way of compromise on safety and the security of passengers and even the aircraft alike,” he said.
The Five-Phase Certification Process
The GCAA’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) certification process is a rigorous five-phase undertaking: Pre-application, Formal Application, Document Evaluation, Demonstration and Inspection, and Certification. Applicants must submit a completed application at least 60 days before intended operations, along with an operations manual, maintenance manual, and other detailed documentation.
The requirements for an Air Carrier Licence (ACL) include proof of financial capability to meet obligations for five years from the start of operations, a detailed business plan covering at least five years, insurance policies, and management personnel with relevant aviation experience. Minimum paid-up capital requirements range from US500,000 for wholly foreign-owned entities.
Rev Arthur said the issue is not whether the certification requirements are impossible to meet, but why some applicants are unable to complete the process after beginning their certification journey. “And so it is not about anything that is insurmountable. People have been there before, but we should go back and find out: what is it that makes some of them not be able to complete the process as they begin their certification or their application to become a full-fledged airline?” he asked.
A Troubled History of Failed Certification Attempts
The GCAA’s comments come amid a long and difficult history of prospective airlines failing to complete the certification process in Ghana. Ashanti Airlines, which won the bid to operate the revived national carrier GhanaAirlines in 2022, had its certification suspended in May 2024 because the company did not submit sufficient information. Nearly two years after winning the bid, Ashanti Airlines was still at phase four of the five-step certification process due to the absence of an aircraft.
Goldstar Air, a Ghanaian-American airline founded by Eric Bannaman, has been licensed by the GCAA since early 2026 but is still working to complete its air operator certificate. The airline has stated that the process is over halfway complete but has been stalled for more than eight years, with remaining phases requiring approval for a qualified third party to conduct examinations before aircraft can be registered in Ghana.
Previous attempts to establish a national carrier have also failed. Ghana Airways, established in 1958, was liquidated in 2004 amid mounting debt. Its successor, Ghana International Airlines, collapsed in 2010. Between 2018 and 2020, Ghana signed separate Memoranda of Understanding with Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir in attempts to revive a national carrier, neither of which materialised.
Duopoly Drives High Fares
The GCAA believes more airlines could help increase capacity, improve service and put downward pressure on domestic airfares. Rev Arthur said the domestic market exists, but healthy competition is needed to stimulate demand. “The market certainly is there, and that is why it is important for us to stimulate the market with healthy competition,” he said.
He added that lower fares could encourage more people to fly domestically. “So, if more players come on the scene, if fares go down, more people will be ready and willing, and can afford to, fly domestically,” he said.
Ghana’s domestic aviation market is currently a duopoly controlled by Africa World Airlines (AWA) and PassionAir, down from an era when about five carriers operated domestic routes. The reduction in competition has contributed to exorbitant fares, making air travel inaccessible to many Ghanaians.
A recent fare survey found that across five Ghanaian routes, the average lowest return fare was US450.48 — about 72 per cent higher at the low end compared with routes in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and India.
Causes of Airline Collapse
Rev Arthur also addressed the factors that led to the collapse of previous domestic airlines, saying the unfavourable regulatory environment and taxes were not solely to blame. “We could look at lack of capital, boardroom wranglings, corporate governance issues and possibly cost of aviation fuel,” he said.
The Ghana Airport Company Limited has also identified the current duopoly as a key factor behind expensive ticket prices. Managing Director Mrs Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare told the Public Accounts Committee in January 2026 that while ticket pricing is ultimately an airline issue, “if we are able to get more carriers, the competition will force the prices to go down. We are working on seeing if we can get more carriers to operate in the country.”
Government Measures to Support Airlines
The government has taken steps to reduce the cost of doing business for domestic carriers. President John Dramani Mahama recently signed legislation exempting domestic airlines from duties and taxes on imported aircraft spare parts, following lobbying by AWA and PassionAir. Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe has urged the airlines to pass on the savings to passengers by reducing airfares, noting that lower operating costs should create room for airlines to make domestic air travel more affordable.
Rev Arthur also revealed that the GCAA is working to improve the operating environment to attract more players. “We are also working to improve the economy around this aviation infrastructure that government is building in the country,” he said.
Outlook: Two New Airlines by 2027?
Despite the challenges, Rev Arthur has hinted that at least two new airlines could join the domestic aviation market by 2027, subject to them meeting the ongoing certification process. “We still have that hope that those currently going through the five phases of certification could be completed on time for them to join the current operators,” he said.
“We are hopeful when all these players come on board, that could go a long way to reduce fares and bring on board the required options for consumers within Ghana,” he added.
The government is also pursuing the revival of a national carrier, with Boeing projecting an 18-month timeline for relaunch following discussions between President Mahama and senior Boeing executives in New York. The government’s new approach envisages a private sector-led airline with the strategic partner holding a majority equity stake of up to 75 per cent.
Whether Ghana can finally break its decades-long cycle of failed airline ventures and deliver the competitive domestic market that consumers and regulators alike desire will depend on whether prospective applicants can overcome the capital, governance and operational hurdles that have derailed so many before them.
