FAAN Boss Calls for Market Segmentation, Passenger-Focused Airport Development in Ghana

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Onabanjo-Kuku, has called on airport operators in Ghana and other African countries to embrace market segmentation and locally tailored development strategies to maximise the economic potential of their facilities.

She said airport authorities must look beyond passenger traffic statistics and conventional revenue generation to recognise the wider economic influence of aviation, particularly its contributions to employment, trade, tourism, investment and socio-economic development.

Onabanjo-Kuku made the call while participating as a Special Guest and panellist at the 20th anniversary lecture and awards of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), held on Monday, November 9, 2026.

The celebration, which marked 20 years of GACL’s management and development of Ghana’s airports, was organised under the theme, “A Legacy of Resilience, Developing Further, Serving Better.”

The event attracted prominent government officials and industry stakeholders, with Ghana’s Vice President, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, delivering the keynote address. She emphasised the importance of safe and globally competitive airports in advancing the country’s aviation industry.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Julius Debrah, attended as Special Guest of Honour, while the Managing Director of GACL, Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, hosted the anniversary celebration.

During the panel discussion, the FAAN managing director challenged airport administrators to adopt a broader understanding of their institutions’ contributions to national development, noting that the economic benefits of aviation extended far beyond activities taking place within airport premises.

She cited global employment figures to demonstrate the scale of the industry’s direct and indirect contributions, explaining that while aviation and airports accounted for approximately 8.5 million direct jobs, their indirect economic contributions supported about 65 million jobs.

According to her, the figures should encourage airport authorities to reconsider their responsibilities and recognise the numerous economic activities sustained by aviation infrastructure.

“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.”

Onabanjo-Kuku, who oversees 22 airports across Nigeria, said her experience had changed her perception of aviation, particularly its relevance to the country’s broader development objectives.

She explained that airports should no longer be viewed simply as transportation facilities but as strategic economic assets capable of stimulating activities across several sectors.

“I have stopped describing the airport and aviation as a mode of transport because it’s a critical factor in our socio-economic growth,” she said.

She observed that airports under the management of a single authority could have significantly different passenger volumes and economic contributions. Consequently, she argued that airport development policies should be informed by the specific opportunities and challenges associated with each location.

According to her, the economic importance of an airport cannot always be determined by the number of passengers it handles, as some facilities may serve other strategic purposes connected to commerce, industry, agriculture, tourism and regional development.

She therefore advised GACL and other African airport operators to align their infrastructure investments and commercial decisions with the economic characteristics of the communities and markets they serve.

“There’s absolutely no reason why we should consider airport development in isolation from the entire economic development of travel,” she stated.

The FAAN chief also identified passenger satisfaction as a critical consideration in the development and management of airports, stressing that the travelling public remained the foundation of the aviation business.

She argued that airport authorities and airlines must work towards making air travel affordable, safe and convenient, rather than concentrating exclusively on revenue generation and infrastructure expansion.

According to her, the industry would struggle to achieve sustainable growth if passengers were unable to afford its services or receive satisfactory experiences throughout their journeys.

“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 further challenged airport managers to review their concession arrangements and commercial activities, insisting that business opportunities within terminals should reflect the purchasing preferences and expectations of their passengers.

Onabanjo-Kuku warned against the tendency among airport operators to adopt similar commercial models without considering differences in passenger demographics, destinations and consumer behaviour.

She maintained that market segmentation would help airport authorities determine the types of products and services that could generate meaningful commercial returns while improving the passenger experience.

Using duty-free shops as an example, she questioned the wisdom of focusing on certain retail products without establishing whether passengers would be interested in purchasing them at the airport.

“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 said.

She explained that airport commercial development should be driven by research into passenger needs, rather than assumptions that products performing well at one airport would necessarily attract similar patronage elsewhere.

The FAAN managing director also addressed the issue of rising air travel costs, acknowledging that the final price of an airline ticket was influenced by several charges and expenses across the aviation value chain.

She identified passenger service charges, security charges and Ghana’s new airport development charge as some of the fees associated with airport operations, while also drawing attention to government taxes and airline operating costs.

She stressed that efforts to make air travel more affordable required a comprehensive assessment of these different components, rather than placing responsibility for expensive tickets on airport authorities alone.

Onabanjo-Kuku expressed willingness to collaborate with GACL Managing Director, Opare, to examine the various charges imposed in Nigeria and Ghana and identify opportunities for greater efficiency and possible reductions.

“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.

She noted that stronger engagement between the two countries could help identify areas of common interest and encourage initiatives that would reduce the financial pressure on passengers without undermining the financial sustainability of airport operations.

The FAAN chief also commended GACL for its resilience and resourcefulness in managing and developing Ghana’s airports over the past two decades.

She acknowledged the company’s contributions to the development of the country’s airport infrastructure and encouraged its management to sustain the progress through innovative approaches and strategies responsive to changing industry demands.

In her concluding remarks, Onabanjo-Kuku urged the Ghanaian airport management to focus on understanding its different markets and tailoring its operational and commercial policies accordingly.

“Ghana, you’re already on track. I am leaving you with two phrases: segment your market and localise your strategy,” she said.

Her message reinforced the importance of a passenger-centred approach to airport development and the need for African aviation authorities to recognise the relationship between efficient airport management and wider economic prosperity.

The anniversary engagement also provided an opportunity to strengthen professional ties between Nigerian and Ghanaian aviation authorities, particularly in addressing shared challenges involving airport development, passenger charges, commercial sustainability and service delivery.

As African countries seek to expand their aviation markets and improve the competitiveness of their airports, the call for locally driven strategies and stronger regional cooperation highlights the need to maximise the economic benefits of aviation beyond passenger movements and airport revenues.