Domestic airport tax generated GHC 3.9million in 2023

Amount is too small to maintain all domestic airports GACL calls for upward adjustment Mrs. Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Limited .

The GHC 5 paid by passengers as domestic Airport Passenger Service Charge generated approximately GHC 3.9 million in 2023.

The total scheduled domestic passenger traffic for the year 2023 from Accra to the five main domestic airports in Ghana, including Wa, Tamale, Kumasi, Sunyani, and Takoradi, was 775,662.

The APSC of GHC 3.9 million realized last year, however, pales in comparison to the monthly and yearly funds expended by the Ghana Airports Company Limited in maintaining the five main domestic airports. Typically, for the existing regional airport such as the Tamale Airport, the major expenditure lines, electricity and water supply, maintenance of lighting equipment, air conditioning, janitorial services, waste disposal, maintenance of the terminal building, and other overhead costs were close over one million cedis per month.

The GACL management, in a previous interview with AviationGhana, cautioned that with the upgrade of Tamale and Kumasi Airports to International status, it would be difficult to manage the running costs including utilities, maintenance of the Aeronautical Ground Lighting Systems and other equipment, if the APSC is not adjusted upwards.

The call has since been supported by the MP for Adaklu and a ranking member of the Transport Committee of Ghana’s Parliament, Governs Kwame Agbodza, and African aviation expert, Sean Mendis. The two, however, say the percentage of increment must be discussed and broadly accepted.

The current domestic Airport Passenger Service Charge was fixed at GHC 5 in 2010 and has since not been reviewed.