Kumawood actor and comedian Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, has publicly called on President John Dramani Mahama to address the high cost of domestic flights in Ghana, revealing he paid GH¢5,000 for a round trip with Passion Air.
In a video posted on his Instagram account on September 7, 2025, Lil Win expressed frustration over the steep fares, noting that a one-way ticket cost GH¢2,500 for a flight lasting just an hour.
“My beloved, I will plead with the Ghanaian leaders, the plane tickets are expensive,” Lil Win stated in the video, directly appealing to President Mahama to intervene and urge airlines to reduce fares. He emphasized the disparity by comparing Ghana’s domestic flight costs to cheaper international flights, such as a €25 fare for a 1-hour-30-minute flight from Berlin to Budapest. In his caption, he wrote,
“The local flights 🛫 are toooo expensive in Ghana … 😂 But you are right Kwadwo … Germany (Berlin) to Hungary (Budapest) is just €25 for 1 hour 30 minutes flight ✈️.”
Despite recent efforts by Passion Air to lower fares, including a 10% reduction across all domestic routes announced on June 17, 2025, in response to the cedi’s appreciation, Lil Win’s complaint highlights ongoing public discontent with the affordability of air travel within Ghana. Passion Air, a leading domestic airline operating from Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 2, connects major cities like Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Takoradi, and Wa, with fares starting as low as GH¢270 after discounts, according to Wakanow. However, high demand and limited competition—primarily between Passion Air and Africa World Airlines—continue to drive costs, with round-trip tickets often exceeding GH¢1,000 for popular routes like Accra to Kumasi.
The issue has sparked broader discussions on social media, with some users arguing that road travel, despite being time-consuming, remains a more affordable alternative, while others echo Lil Win’s call for government intervention to regulate fares.
President Mahama has yet to respond publicly to the appeal, but the government’s recent push for economic reforms, including improved funding for local assemblies, suggests a focus on addressing public grievances. Whether this will extend to aviation remains uncertain, as the sector faces challenges like high operational costs and limited infrastructure.
