British Airways has intensified discussions with the Government of Ghana regarding the challenges posed by the high operational costs at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

0

This proactive engagement is in response to the concerns raised by passengers regarding the elevated travel expenses on the London-Accra route.

1

Complaints from customers about the high costs of tickets along this route have prompted the airline to address the issue.

2

In an exclusive interview in London, Neil Alan Chernoff, the Chief Officer of Planning and Strategy at British Airways, assured Joy Business that the airline's management is actively involved in discussions with all relevant stakeholders to find a resolution to the problem.

3

“If an Airport is expensive to operate in, that cost will definitely be passed onto ticket pricing” he added.

4

Mr. Chernoff emphasized that the operational expenses at Kotoka International Airport are a shared concern among various airline operators. He expressed the opinion that achieving the goal of "competitive ticket pricing" or reducing ticket prices might prove challenging without addressing this issue.

5

This concern is not exclusive to British Airways, as noted by Mees Van Ojik, the Country Manager of Air France-KLM, in a recent interview.

6

Van Ojik highlighted that this situation acts as a significant disincentive for Ghana, particularly at a time when passenger arrivals have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

7

Deputy Minister of Transport, Alhassan Tampuli, has revealed that passenger arrivals at Kotoka International Airport have reached 1.5 million, surpassing pre-COVID pandemic levels. In response to this, Mr. Chernoff noted that Ghana's prominent position in the industry attracts a substantial number of air passengers to the country.

8

“Ghana in particular, we have seen demand picked up strongly, and we have seen demand come back”, he said.

9

“Demand has certainly exceeded what we were recording in 2019 and that is impacting on their operations positively on the London – Accra- London route”.

10

He stated that the development has influenced the decision to introduce the largest airline next to the A380, on the London- Accra- London route since 2022.“The strong demand has obviously impacted on the operations of the Airline and that has also influenced our decision to review our route operations as an Airline”, he said.

11