Accra-Kumasi airfare crosses GH¢600 mark – Report

The cost of travelling from the capital Accra to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region by air has crossed the GH¢600 mark, the highest one-way fare recorded on the route, Aviation Ghana reports.

For several weeks now, an Accra-Kumasi one-way ticket on Africa World Airlines (AWA) and PassionAir has crossed the GHC600 mark, with about GH¢ 1,200 required to make an Accra-Kumasi-Accra round trip.

On the Accra-Tamale-Accra and Accra-Takoradi-Accra routes, passengers now require close to GH¢ 1,400 to make a round trip from Accra to the two cities.

The surge in airfares has been attributed to the rising cost of aviation fuel on the international market, the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar—which is the main currency used by airlines for the purchasing of spare parts and others—and the limited number of domestic airline operators.

In Ghana, which imports all of its aviation fuel despite being an oil-producing nation in Africa, jet fuel is selling for about US$1.2 per liter, reflecting the cost of the commodity on the international market.

Jet fuel price average for 2022 (year to date) is $143.4/bbl, according to data published by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

On the international market, jet fuel prices ended last week up 3.4% at $143.0/bbl.