When the Ghana Airports Company Limited moved its operations to Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport, the old facility was left abandoned and deteriorating. Few saw opportunity in it.
But McDan Aviation, under the McDan Group, did.
With bold vision and millions of dollars in private investment, the company transformed the neglected structure into Ghana’s first private Fixed Base Operator (FBO) terminal a facility designed to serve business aviation and position Ghana as a destination for premium aviation services.
What was once abandoned became a modern facility and a symbol of what Ghanaian enterprise can achieve.
Today, however, that same investment has become the subject of a troubling dispute.
Reports indicate that McDan Aviation paid rent consistently for several years under its licence agreement with GACL, even during periods when the facility was not operational. In 2025, the company reportedly delayed its annual rent payment but has since cleared the arrears.
Yet the licence was terminated.
Even more concerning are reports that shortly after a court injunction was served on GACL on March 10, 2026, officials moved into the facility in the early hours of March 11 and removed equipment belonging to the company.
If these reports are accurate, the implications extend far beyond one business dispute.
The real question is this: what signal does this send to Ghanaian investors?
Entrepreneurs who invest millions in capital-intensive projects already take enormous risks. When such investments appear vulnerable to abrupt actions or unresolved disputes, confidence in the investment climate inevitably suffers.
Ghana cannot build a strong private sector if the same system meant to support enterprise ends up discouraging it.
The McDan Aviation dispute is therefore more than a legal battle. It is a national test of fairness, due process and the protection of indigenous enterprise.
By Jonathan Armah
