Ghana Airports Company Limited Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afriyiye Opare has called for expanded international and regional air connectivity as the primary catalyst for transforming Accra into West Africa’s aviation hub, warning that Ghana cannot achieve this status through infrastructure alone.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the 5th AviationGhana Breakfast Meeting held in Accra on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, Opare emphasized that achieving hub status requires deliberate efforts to increase flight options and improve transit traffic through Ghana.
She stated that Ghana often discusses becoming the aviation hub but significant work lies ahead, identifying connectivity in the region as the number one priority. Opare noted that intra-African travel remains inefficient, with journeys between African countries sometimes taking up to twenty four hours due to limited direct connections.
The GACL Managing Director argued that this inefficiency undermines the continent’s aviation growth potential and presents an opportunity for Ghana to lead improvements in regional air links. She stressed the need for more international connections into Accra alongside expanded regional routes to make Ghana not only a final destination but also a preferred transit point.
Drawing comparisons with Addis Ababa, Opare highlighted Ethiopia’s capital as a successful transit hub with extensive global connections, noting that there are a lot of connections going out of Ethiopian to everywhere in the world.
She maintained that strengthening connectivity would make Accra more attractive to airlines and passengers alike, positioning Ghana as a competitive gateway within West Africa.
Opare outlined planned aviation infrastructure upgrades aimed at enhancing Ghana’s capacity and competitiveness in the West African sub-region, indicating that Terminal 2 will be connected to Terminal 3 via a concourse to ensure faster connections and seamless travel and transit through Accra’s Kotoka International Airport.
The GACL chief revealed investment opportunities under this project, stating that there will be about four or five lounges within this concourse, shops and others, encouraging airlines present who would like to own their own lounges to get in touch and submit their proposals.
Opare disclosed that Ghana’s aviation sector continued its strong post-pandemic recovery in 2025, with GACL reporting a total of three point six two five million travelers across international and domestic routes, representing a significant increase from the three point four million passengers recorded in 2024.
The high-level forum, themed Advancing Ghana’s Aviation Sector: Policy, Connectivity, and Sustainable Growth, brought together key industry stakeholders to deliberate on policy direction, infrastructure development and improved air connectivity.
The event featured a keynote address delivered by Kamil Al-Awadhi, IATA Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, who praised Ghana’s aviation sector regulatory regime and called on Ghana to align its aviation policies with ECOWAS directives to ensure a competitive aviation sector in West Africa.
