Ghana is expected to acquire additional aircraft for presidential travel by November 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s state aviation capacity, Secretary to the President, Callistus Mahama, has revealed.
His comments come amid public debate over the use of a private jet owned by Ibrahim Mahama, brother of President John Dramani Mahama, for official presidential travel.
In an opinion piece addressing the controversy, Dr Mahama acknowledged that concerns about a potential conflict of interest are legitimate and deserve public scrutiny. He noted that in a democratic society, citizens have a duty to question government decisions to maintain accountability and public trust.
According to him, presidential travel involves complex security, diplomatic, and operational requirements that often exceed the capabilities of some of Ghana’s existing state aircraft. He explained that certain aircraft previously used for government travel were not designed for long-distance diplomatic missions, while others face operational limitations.
To address the challenge, the government has begun steps to expand the presidential air transport fleet as part of a broader retooling of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Dr Mahama indicated that by November this year, Ghana is expected to add new aircraft to the presidential fleet, including one dedicated to the President’s travel. He said the move will enable the government to rely entirely on state-owned assets for presidential trips and eliminate the need for temporary arrangements that have sparked the current debate.