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The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, has urged Ghana’s airport operators to look beyond passenger traffic figures and treat aviation as a driver of socio-economic transformation, calling on the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to “segment your market and localise your strategy.”
Mrs Onabanjo-Kuku made the call as a Special Guest and panellist at GACL’s 20th Anniversary Lecture and Awards on Monday, 9th November 2026, an event marking two decades of managing and developing the nation’s airports under the theme “A Legacy of Resilience, Developing Further, Serving Better.”
Speaking on the panel, Mrs Onabanjo-Kuku challenged her fellow airport managers in Africa to rethink how they measure their institutions’ value, citing global figures that reveal a striking gap between direct and indirect economic contributions.
“Aviation or airports globally contribute about 8.5 million jobs, but if you look at the indirect contribution, it’s about 65 million,” she said. “That tells you that our job, our role and our responsibility do not stop within the airport.”
The FAAN boss, who oversees 22 airports across Nigeria, said she has “stopped describing the airport and aviation as a mode of transport because it’s a critical factor in our socio-economic growth.”
She noted that while some airports under her management make critical contributions to passenger traffic, others do not—prompting a shift in perspective. “There’s absolutely no reason why we should consider airport development in isolation from the entire economic development of travel,” she said.
Mrs Onabanjo-Kuku placed the passenger at the heart of airport strategy, stressing that without the passenger there would be neither airline nor airport.
“What’s important is to make sure that the cost of travel is reasonable and affordable, that the passengers are kept safe and that they have the best experience when travelling through the airports or through the aircraft that are provided by the airline,” she said.
She called for a deeper understanding of markets and audiences, cautioning against a one-size-fits-all approach to concessions. “There’s absolutely no reason why in my airport I should just have duty-free concessions selling perfumes—I can buy perfumes at my destination,” she remarked, advocating for differentiated commercial offerings.
Fair Decomposition of Travel Costs
Responding to a question on the cost of air travel, Mrs Onabanjo-Kuku acknowledged the multiple charges that make up a ticket price, including passenger service charges, security charges, and Ghana’s new airport development charge, alongside government taxes and airline costs.
“I’m happy to sit with my sister Yvonne and do a fair decomposition, because it’s not just the airport charge—there are other government taxes across both countries,” she said, expressing willingness to explore “synergies or opportunities for reduction” between Nigeria and Ghana.
Praise for GACL’s Resilience
The FAAN chief lauded GACL for its resilience and resourcefulness over two decades of managing and developing Ghana’s airports, and closed her presentation with advice for the organisation.
“Ghana, you’re already on track. I am leaving you with two phrases: segment your market and localise your strategy,” she concluded.
