Policy Gaps Undermine Accra Airport Expansion Success

Ghana’s government plan to expand infrastructure at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) risks ignoring fundamental policy and operational challenges, according to policy analyst Bright Simons. He stated that this approach could undermine the nation's ambition to become a regional aviation hub. Simons, Vice-President of IMANI Africa, shared these concerns on Monday, May 4, following President John Dramani Mahama's announcement about constructing a new concourse between Terminals 2 and 3.

Simons argues that the focus on physical expansion overlooks necessary policy direction to ensure efficiency and sustained impact. He believes infrastructure development across Africa often suffers from weak strategic guidance. Such projects are poorly integrated into broader systems, failing to consider a holistic “corridor thinking.” This thinking designs infrastructure as part of a coordinated network, not as isolated projects.

This criticism comes as Ghana aims to accelerate its economic growth by improving connectivity. The country has heavily invested in aviation infrastructure over recent years. However, data indicates varying returns on these investments. For instance, Ghana's external debt management continues to be a key economic challenge, influencing investment decisions across sectors including aviation. The push for an aviation hub aligns with the government's broader economic transformation agenda, seeking to attract foreign direct investment and boost tourism.

“When politics clash with policy, development suffers in the long run,” Simons stated. He challenged the premise that current expansion is driven by capacity constraints. Passenger numbers at Accra airport increased from about 1.8 million in 2022 to roughly 2.5 million in 2025. These numbers are well below the five million annual capacity of Terminal 3.

Simons insists that congestion at the airport is operational, not structural. He identified peak-hour pressure between 6 pm and 10 pm as a major issue. This pressure stems from scheduling overlaps and bottlenecks across key processes. These include terminal allocation challenges, limited availability of boarding gates and air bridges, and inadequate staffing at immigration and security checkpoints. Inefficiencies in baggage handling and screening systems also contribute to the problem.

International aircraft movements have also declined, dropping from 30,497 in 2019 to 27,062 in 2025. This decline occurs despite Ghana's effort to position Accra as a major aviation hub in West Africa. Regional passenger traffic has not recovered to pre-2019 levels, raising further concerns about the hub strategy’s viability. Such trends underscore the need for a re-evaluation of aviation policies to ensure their effectiveness in attracting and retaining air traffic.

Challenges in airline expansion further complicate Ghana's aviation ambitions. Several high-profile route announcements, including those with Virgin Atlantic and Air Transat, never materialized. Lufthansa scaled down its operations by replacing its Frankfurt route with a lower-tier Brussels service. Air France withdrew its Paris route entirely. While Delta Air Lines resumed flights to Accra after more than a decade, Simons described this as seasonal. He does not view it as indicative of sustained growth. The only significant positive development cited is Etihad Airways’ plans to include Accra in its African expansion pipeline.

Airlines operating in Accra consistently raise concerns about high operational costs and weak commercial prospects. These factors discourage new entrants into the market. Simons stressed that attracting more carriers is critical to improving competition and reducing high ticket prices for passengers. Recent policy decisions, including introducing a new infrastructure development charge, risk undermining efforts to make Accra competitive. Without a substantial shift in policy thinking, these infrastructure investments may fail to deliver meaningful results. Ghana’s aviation strategy must move beyond just physical expansion. It needs to address systemic inefficiencies and improve route development, airline retention, and overall operational performance.