The Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has dismissed speculation surrounding a viral aircraft branded as Air Ghana Cargo, clarifying that the aircraft is privately owned and not linked to the Government of Ghana.

Mr Nikpe made the clarification while appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

His comments followed concerns raised by the Deputy Ranking Member of the Committee, Davis Opoku Ansah, who sought clarification over circulating images of the cargo aircraft and claims that the state may have acquired a new aviation asset.

Responding to the concerns, the Minister stated that the aircraft belongs to Air Ghana, a privately owned cargo transport company, and forms no part of government operations.

He stressed that the state has no ownership stake or operational control over the airline.

Discussion during the committee sitting later shifted to government plans to re-establish a national airline.

Ranking Member of the PAC, Samuel Atta Mills, recalled challenges associated with the defunct Ghana Airways, particularly persistent flight delays and poor scheduling, which he said affected passenger confidence and disrupted international connections.

Mr Nikpe acknowledged the operational difficulties that contributed to the collapse of previous national airline ventures and said lessons had been learned.

“This is not a good compliment, and there are lessons we have learned as a people. That is why I will thank the committee for allowing us to respond to the issues raised by the special audit. We are not intending to have a shareholding that will be dictatorial to the services of the airline that we are intending to re-establish,” he said.

The Minister explained that the government intends to adopt a private-sector-led model for the proposed national carrier, with limited state involvement.

“We only hold a small share, and then it will be a private-sector-led activity. It is not good that I have my scheduled travels and arrive at a point, and then you would delay the flight for me. There are lessons we have learnt that we will improve upon,” Mr Nikpe added.

He further assured the committee that the Ministry is engaging international aviation stakeholders, regulators, and private investors as part of efforts to establish efficient operational systems and improve time management within Ghana’s aviation sector.