The country’s international air passenger throughput continues to show steady recovery in 2024, with figures as of the third quarter reaching 1.74 million.

Data from the Ghana Airport Company Limited revealed that these numbers surpassed the total throughput recorded in 2022.

Although signalling positive trajectory, the passengers’ throughput slightly trails 2023 figures at the same time.

Historically, the fourth quarter has consistently seen higher travel volumes due to festive-season activities and tourism, suggesting that total passenger throughput for 2024 could exceed the third-quarter performance significantly, further strengthening the country’s aviation recovery.

The continued success of initiatives such as ‘December in GH’, launched by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) under the ‘Beyond the Return’ committee, is expected to drive growth in the final months of the year.

The 2024 edition aims to attract 1.3 million visitors, positioning the country as a prime holiday destination and boosting travel demand.

Before the pandemic, its aviation sector witnessed steady growth; and between 2016 and 2019, passenger throughput rose consistently, driven by increased international travel demand, rising economic activity and infrastructure improvements.

The data reveals that passenger numbers grew from 1.75 million in 2016 to 2.11 million in 2019, reflecting annual growth rates between 3.7 percent and 9.1 percent. This positive trajectory positioned the country as a rising regional hub for aviation in West Africa.

However, the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 reduced air travel worldwide. The country’s passenger throughput fell sharply by 66.7 percent, plummeting to just 702,651.

Border closures, travel restrictions and a decline in passenger confidence led to this significant drop as the pandemic disrupted years of steady progress, forcing the aviation sector to reassess and adapt to the changing environment.

Post-pandemic recovery began in earnest in 2021, as the nation’s aviation sector benefitted from the easing of travel restrictions and renewed passenger confidence.

Also, passenger traffic rebounded sharply to 1.27 million, representing an 80.7 percent increase from the previous year. This recovery continued into 2022, with throughput reaching 1.8 million, and further improved in 2023, where it climbed to 2.14 million, a near return to pre-pandemic levels.

Similarly, the country’s domestic air passenger throughput for 2024, as of the third quarter, stood at 623,704 passengers.

The country’s domestic air passenger throughput from 2016 to the third quarter of 2024 reveals a dynamic trend characterised by growth, disruption and gradual recovery. Between 2016 and 2019, the sector experienced steady growth, rising from 421,986 passengers in 2016 to 690,314 in 2019, representing a strong demand for domestic air travel driven by improved infrastructure, increased economic activities and growing passenger confidence.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted this progress, leading to a significant decline to 423,718 passengers – a sharp drop of over 38 percent compared to 2019 levels. The pandemic’s restrictions on movement and reduced air travel demand were primary contributors to this setback.

A strong recovery began in 2021 with throughput rebounding to 722,721, a significant increase of 70.6 percent from 2020, reflecting renewed travel confidence and the gradual reopening of the economy.

The positive trajectory continued into 2022, with passenger numbers reaching a peak of 852,101 – the highest figure recorded over the period. However, in 2023, throughput declined to 775,662, signalling slower growth.

With the typically higher travel volumes in the fourth quarter, there is potential for improved year-end performance.

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