Mahama considers routes from Ghana to South America and the Caribbean — MyJoyOnline
Ghanaian President John Mahama said the country’s future national airline could include destinations in South America and the Caribbean in its route network. He raised the issue on September 23, 2026, in New York during a bilateral meeting with Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
According to MyJoyOnline, Ghana is considering potential air connections across the Atlantic as a way to develop trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people contacts. In August, Mahama and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness also agreed to accelerate work on a bilateral air services agreement which, once concluded, is expected to enable direct flights between Accra and Montego Bay.
Demand data are lacking
Ghana Civil Aviation Authority statistics for 2025 recorded 2,539,034 international passenger movements: 1,238,220 arrivals and 1,300,814 departures. The authority also recorded 46,372 tonnes of international cargo and 181,826 transit passengers.
The published data do not contain separate figures for South America and the Caribbean. The largest number of international passenger movements was recorded for Europe, with 866,714, followed by East Africa with 423,836, West Africa with 406,536, North America with 309,932 and the Middle East with 290,098. The “other” category accounted for 10,276 movements.
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Therefore, the available statistics make it impossible to determine current passenger traffic between Ghana and potential destinations, including Brazil, Suriname, Argentina, Colombia, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, or Barbados. Long-haul routes require sufficient demand, suitable aircraft, stable flight load factors and revenue capable of covering operating costs.
Aviation security issues
The initiative is being discussed against the backdrop of several cases related to drug trafficking through Ghana. Since 2025, the country has been mentioned in connection with the seizure of more than 3.3 tonnes of cocaine in Cape Coast, 73 cocaine bricks concealed in wooden items at Kotoka Airport, as well as a 320-kilogram shipment of methamphetamine from Ghana intercepted in Australia.
At the same time, these cases do not establish a link between the planned airline and illicit drug trafficking. New international routes will require proper screening of passengers, baggage and cargo, customs procedures and intelligence sharing between the responsible services.
