Ghana will charge each traveller $7 to fumigate their baggage at Kotoka International Airport
The Ghana Health Service is pressuring airlines to charge an additional US$7 per passenger for luggage fumigation on all foreign flights. This additional fee should then be paid to the government agency. In a meeting conducted on Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Accra, the Ghana Airports Company Limited informed airlines serving Kotoka International Airport of…
The Ghana Health Service is pressuring airlines to charge an additional US$7 per passenger for luggage fumigation on all foreign flights. This additional fee should then be paid to the government agency.
In a meeting conducted on Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Accra, the Ghana Airports Company Limited informed airlines serving Kotoka International Airport of the GHS’s decision. This information was provided by sources inside AviationGhana.com.
Airlines disagreed with the GHS decision and further cited the absence of local law for the proposed fee, which they said was unnecessary given that they are still recuperating from the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic.
If put into effect, the US$7 fumigation fee will push up airfares even higher, which are already high owing to high aviation fuel prices, a depreciating local currency, and a general economic downturn since last year.
Over a three-year period, the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects cost the industry almost US$180 billion. But according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), this year’s recovery will result in US$2.25 in income per passenger. Compared to previous year, when there was a loss of -1.1 dollars per passenger, this is a huge improvement.
Most foreign airlines have started operating again on routes they closed last year in Ghana, although they have not yet reached the levels of performance seen in 2019.
