Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has made overtures to TAP Air Portugal (TP, Lisbon) as the government of the West African nation continues to seek a technical partner to establish a new national carrier, reports GhanaWeb.
Speaking during the credential ceremony of Portugal’s new ambassador to Ghana, Mahama reiterated that Ghana is seeking partners for the project and sees the Portuguese airline as a potential collaborator.
"I've flown it before, and so I have experienced your national airline. Ghana itself is trying to establish a national airline, and at the appropriate time, we'll be looking for partners. Perhaps, if Portugal’s national airline is interested, we could consider a partnership," he suggested.
Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s openness to investment, citing a stable business climate and a growing market of 35 million people. The government recently set up a 10-member task team to write a new national airline's business plan and operational framework.
Ghana has also approached the United Arab Emirates for potential and has heard proposals from the US-based World Aviation Group (WAG).
This follows several failed attempts to re-establish a flag carrier, including the most recent bid involving privately owned Ashanti Airlines, whose certification process collapsed in May 2024. Previous efforts included memoranda of understanding with Ethiopian Airlines in 2018 and EgyptAir in 2020, both of which failed to materialise.
Ghana has lacked a national airline since Ghana International Airlines ceased operations in 2010, following the 2004 collapse of Ghana Airways.
