Prolonged delays in clearing cargo at Ghana’s airports could undermine airline operations and weaken the efficiency of the country’s logistics sector, the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has warned.
The Institute said delays in releasing aircraft spare parts and other critical equipment were particularly concerning because airlines depend on timely access to such items to maintain uninterrupted operations.
President of GIFF, Stephen Adjokatcher, raised the concern at the unveiling of Africa World Airlines’ new Embraer E190 aircraft on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
He said the situation was inconsistent with the government’s 24-hour economy agenda, which seeks to promote continuous economic activity and improve productivity.
Mr Adjokatcher questioned why businesses and airlines could sometimes wait several days to clear cargo at the airport despite the presence of Customs facilities designed to facilitate clearance.
“We don’t understand why there’s a centre brought here by Customs so that aviation is speed, but sometimes people take days before they clear things from the airport here,” he said.
He explained that delays in clearing aircraft parts could have consequences beyond the freight industry, potentially disrupting airline schedules and affecting the wider aviation and logistics chain.
He therefore appealed to the Ministry of Transport to engage the Ministry of Finance and other relevant agencies to find a lasting solution to the clearance bottlenecks.
“I’m happy my Transport Minister is here to address that to the Finance Minister, because it takes days to clear parts from the airport. Why should it be under 24 hours?” he asked.
Mr Adjokatcher also called for adequate storage facilities at Ghana’s airports to enable airlines to keep essential spare parts on-site.
He said allowing airlines to store critical components at the airports would make it easier for them to access and clear the items promptly whenever they were needed.
“[We need] storage facilities at our airports so that airlines can hold the spare parts there so that they can clear on time when they need it immediately,” he added.
The GIFF President said addressing the bottlenecks would help improve the efficiency of airport cargo operations and support the broader objective of making Ghana’s aviation and logistics sectors more responsive to the demands of a 24-hour economy.
