Ghana has taken a significant step toward reviving its national airline ambitions, establishing a 10-member task force to develop a comprehensive business plan and operational framework for a new flag carrier, according to local media reports.
The move follows a presidential directive issued in an April 29 letter from Callistus Mahama, executive secretary to President John Mahama, instructing Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe to appoint the committee.
The task force will be led by Charles Asare, former managing director of Ghana Airports Company Limited, and includes a mix of current aviation executives, industry experts, and government officials.
Among the members are Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, current managing director of the Ghana Airports Company; Stephen Arthur, director-general of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); as well as former officials from the transport ministry and CAA.
The task force has been mandated to craft the airline’s business model, develop its operational framework, and coordinate with potential strategic and technical partners.
Responsibilities will also include ensuring regulatory compliance, managing the certification process, and laying the groundwork for operations—including fleet acquisition, route planning, and staffing.
Speaking at the official inauguration of the task force on 7 May, Minister Nikpe emphasised a shift in approach: “We are prepared to do things differently; we want to engage in this enterprise and engage in it very well with all the business sense that will guide us in establishing a functional national airline.”
The committee will report periodically to the president on its progress. Ghana has made several previous attempts to re-establish a national carrier since the collapse of Ghana Airways in 2004 and its successor, Ghana International Airlines, in 2010.
This latest effort is being closely watched as the country seeks to position itself as a key player in West African aviation.
