GACL to charge travelers $20 at Kotoka International Airport

The Ghana Airports Company Limited, GACL, has announced effective May 1, 2024, travellers using the Kotoka International Airport would be charged $20. A letter by the GACL disclosed that the fee would help to repair baggage belts.

In the letter signed by the Managing Director of GACL and sighted by Accra-based Class FM, a round-trip will attract a $20 charge while a one-way trip will attract $10.

“Further to discussions with the executives of the Airport Operators Committee regarding our baggage belt overhauling and maintenance issues, the Board of Directors of Ghana Airports Company Limited, in consultation with the Ministry of Transport, is instituting maintenance charge of $20 on all round-trip airline tickets ($10 to be charged each way”. 

While the new directive is certain to attract the ire of the travelling public, this is not the first time travellers using Ghana’s premier airport have to pay extra.

The Minority in Parliament criticised the government in 2023 leading to President Akufo-Addo directing the GACL to cancel a $7 fumigation levy at the airport. According to reports, the levy was impressed upon the GACL by the Ghana Health Service. President Akufo-Addo stepped in after pressure from the Minority in Parliament and the Ghanaian public.

Kwame Agbodza, MP for Adaklu who spoke on the incident on behalf of the Minority said, “airline tickets are still considerably high. To charge this amount for the fumigation of bags is an absurdity. We are not going to accept this. No agency of government has the right to impose additional charges without the knowledge of Parliament and I encourage airlines to disregard this for now until we all come to the conclusion that this is relevant.”

Just like this new levy, the fumigation levy too did not get Parliamentary approval. Kwame Agbodza argued that “No agency of government has the right to impose additional charges without the knowledge of Parliament”.He encouraged “airlines to disregard this for now until we all come to the conclusion that this is relevant”.