Kenya has formally asked the Ghanaian government to allow its national carrier, Kenya Airways, to establish a secondary hub in Accra, in a bid to strengthen air links across West Africa and to international destinations.
Kenyan Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir made the request during an official visit to Accra on May 7, where he delivered a goodwill message from President William Ruto to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. Kenya Airways Group CEO Allan Kilavuka was part of the delegation.
Chirchir said the proposed hub aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) goals of boosting intra-African trade and regional integration. The AfCFTA secretariat is headquartered in Accra.
"In the spirit of enhancing people-to-people contacts and advancing commercial linkages to strengthen intra-African trade as envisioned under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) headquartered in Accra, I requested H.E. JD Mahama for Kenya's national carrier, Kenya Airways to establish a secondary hub in Accra, Ghana, to enhance connectivity to West Africa and the rest of the world," Chirchir disclosed on social media. "Kenya Airways flies to Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, and Cameroon. The strategic hub would enhance Accra as a hub, foster connectivity between West Africa and global markets, grow trade, tourism, investment, and economic prosperity in Ghana and the Western Region," he said.
ch-aviation schedules data shows Kenya Airways currently flies daily (2x daily on some days) between Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta and Accra using a B737-800.
The Ghanaian government has recently established a task force to devise a strategy for the establishment of a flag carrier, which the Western African country currently does not have.
