Ghana’s aviation chief says flying planes overseas for repairs is quietly hiking ticket prices — and West Africa has a solution closer to home.
Airfares across the region could be cheaper if airlines stopped sending aircraft to Europe and the US for maintenance, according to Stephen Arthur, Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Speaking after a tour of Aero Contractors’ Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) in Lagos, Arthur said overseas maintenance piles on costs — from ferry flights and crew expenses to fuel, navigation charges and long aircraft downtime — all of which end up on passengers’ tickets.
He praised the Lagos facility’s modern equipment and skilled engineers, describing it as capable of handling approved commercial aircraft across West and Central Africa. “This is unique by all standards. I didn’t expect to see this level of capacity from this part of the continent,” he said.
Arthur noted that local maintenance hubs drastically cut operating costs and improve airline efficiency, calling the Aero Contractors MRO “a major blessing for Ghana, ECOWAS and the wider aviation industry.” With Ghana setting up a national carrier, he urged regional airlines to patronise the facility so it can expand further.
On his part, Aero Contractors MD, Capt. Ado Sanusi, said the company — founded in 1959 — pioneered Boeing 737 Classic C-checks in West and Central Africa and is now seeking EASA and FAA approvals to broaden its maintenance services. He also revealed plans to resume flights to Accra soon.
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