Reviving national airline will boost business travel, support economic growth — Joyce Bawah

A Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Aide to President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has underscored the economic importance of reviving Ghana’s national airline.

Ghana Airways stopped operations in 2004, followed by Ghana International Airlines in 2010.

Since then, several efforts by successive governments to re-establish a national carrier have yielded little success.

As part of fulfilling his 2024 campaign promise, President Mahama has inaugurated a 10-member task force, including Madam Bawah Mogtari, to spearhead the revival of the airline.

In a post shared on Wednesday, May 14, she stressed that re-establishing a national airline would enhance business travel and contribute to economic diversification.

“I believe establishing a national carrier would not only enhance direct connectivity between Accra and major global destinations but also boost tourism, facilitate business travel and support economic diversification,” she wrote.

She added that the economic benefits of the initiative would ripple across multiple sectors.

“The economic impact would extend beyond aviation: job creation, skills development and technological innovation in the sector would have a ripple effect on allied industries such as hospitality, logistics and aircraft maintenance,” she stated.

Bawah Mogtari further emphasised that a well-managed and efficiently governed national airline would stand as a symbol of Ghana’s national pride and commitment to growth, self-reliance, and global integration.

She observed that the lack of a reliable national carrier has limited the country’s ability to fully benefit from rising regional and international air traffic.