Older aircraft contributing to high domestic airfares – CUTS Int’l

CUTS International has called for a broader assessment of the factors contributing to the relatively high airfares charged by domestic airlines in Ghana.

The organisation’s West Africa Director, Appiah Kusi Adomako, said fuel prices are an important component of airline operating costs, but argued that other expenses must also be examined before determining the main factors driving domestic airfares.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Mr Adomako said the age of aircraft operated by some domestic airlines could also contribute to higher ticket prices because older aircraft generally require more maintenance.

“We know the price of fuel but I think since we don’t know what the airlines pay to the airports and other taxes that go to the government, we will not be able to be more accurate with regard to the prices,” he said.

He explained that a comprehensive assessment of domestic airfares should consider a range of operating costs, including aircraft maintenance, airport charges, taxes and other fees paid by airlines to government and aviation authorities.

Mr Adomako identified the age of aircraft used by some domestic operators as another factor that could influence ticket prices.

According to him, older aircraft can incur higher maintenance costs, which may ultimately affect the cost of operating domestic flights.

“But the other thing that I want to say that could be driving prices is that most of the airlines that we also operate in our part of the country are also a bit old and older aircraft also have a high maintenance cost,” he said.

He contrasted this with airlines in some developed markets, where newer aircraft are more commonly deployed and may have lower maintenance requirements.

“When you go to Europe, they use brand new aircrafts and brand new aircrafts will have limited maintenance cost and so we also have to also look at this,” he added.

The CUTS International director stressed that focusing solely on aviation fuel prices would not provide a complete picture of why domestic airfares are relatively high.

He said obtaining accurate information on airport charges and taxes paid by airlines would be necessary to properly assess the cost structure behind domestic ticket prices.

His comments come amid discussions about the cost of domestic air travel in Ghana and calls for greater understanding of the factors influencing fares.

A detailed assessment, he suggested, should therefore examine the combined impact of fuel, aircraft age and maintenance, airport charges, taxes and other regulatory costs before conclusions are drawn about domestic airline pricing.