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Home » Ghana » Airport Will Fine Airlines $3,500 For Transporting Unvaccinated Passengers
Ghana

Airport Will Fine Airlines $3,500 For Transporting Unvaccinated Passengers

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 18, 2021November 14, 2023 10 Comments

a hand in a glove holding a card

An airport will soon be levying fines against airlines which transport unvaccinated passengers or passengers with a positive COVID-19 PCR test.

Airlines Face Airport Fine For Transporting Unvaccinated Passengers

Ghana Airports, a state-owned company which runs airports in the nation of Ghana, has warned airlines that if they transport passengers who are unvaccinated or who do not have a valid negative COVID-19 test, they will face a $3,500 fine.

The concept of governments fining airlines for transporting unauthorized passengers is hardly a new concept, but Ghana Airport has put more impetus on airlines than I have seen anywhere else in the context of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

All incoming passengers to Ghana must be vaccinated. Ghanian citizens are exempted until December 28th. The rule primary impacts Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

Airlines have been instructed not only to check for negative PCR tests, but ensure they are valid. It’s easy enough to fake tests, but Ghana Airports requires airlines to use software like PanaBIOS or Global Haven to check the genuineness of a test. Airlines which do not comply will also be fined $3,500.

Finally, airlines will also be fined $3,500 if a passenger has not filled out a health declaration from before arrival.

In what seems particularly punitive, all passengers must test again on arrival, at a cost of $150 for foreign nationals. If a travelers should test positive on arrival, they will be required to quarantine for seven days. That will also a trigger a check of their pre-flight PCR test and prompt serious trouble for both the airline and the passenger if found to be faked.

Transit passengers will be exempt.

As a side note, all passengers departing Ghana by air (even citizens) must be fully-vaccinated. That new rule went into effect on December 14th. Passengers also must presnset a negative COVID-19 test to depart from an approved testing facility and upload that test prior to departure under the country’s “Trusted Travel” program.

CONCLUSION

Although the concept of fining airlines when passengers do not meet entry requirements is nothing new, the strict testing and vaccine requirements in Accra mark a new revenue opportunity for airports and a very strict approach to dealing with the omicron variant.

image: The Focal Project

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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10 Comments

  1. Cy Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 11:40 am

    Good for them. I see no issue with this. If people object, don’t go to Ghana.

    • Dave Edwards Reply
      December 18, 2021 at 6:46 pm

      Does anyone that isn’t a criminal or ped go there? It’s a place people sell their bodies to get out of. Next to Thailand it may be the worst place on Earth for normal Americans.

  2. Jerry Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 11:43 am

    $150 test for inbound travelers should really help Ghana’s air travel industry recover.

  3. Wes Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 11:44 am

    Nice clickbait. Who cares what Ghana does?

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      December 18, 2021 at 11:47 am

      I do.

      • Dave Edwards Reply
        December 18, 2021 at 6:50 pm

        But you also think Thailand is a great place for people who don’t molest kids to visit, so if you were objective you would admit your judgement isn’t always the best.

        Still waiting on any story from you to admit that Thailand has businesses promoting sex tourism with minors. Not many countries you can say that about.

        And it would be fair for you to admit it is ongoing problem there. Regardless of how cheap the Hyatts are there.

  4. Sean M. Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 3:07 pm

    A few clarifications.

    * You don’t need to upload tests to the TT platform when departing Ghana. All authorised labs are automatically linked and your test results show up there automatically and can be printed if needed. The system works very smoothly and is Pan-African (eg. Tests in Malawi or Ethiopia or elsewhere also show up on the portal).

    * The fine is nothing new. The fine was put in place for those without valid certificates and other health paperwork in September 2020. It has just been extended to vaccines as of this week. It’s always been in place for those without visas, etc..

    * The cost of the on arrival test is $50 for all ECOWAS nationals (which accounts for 80% of the traffic at the airport). It’s only $150 for non-ECOWAS citizens.

  5. Dick Bupkiss Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 4:00 pm

    A good first step. But it should be the same for domestic travel, too. Can we have that, please?

  6. Dave Edwards Reply
    December 18, 2021 at 6:21 pm

    Is this really an airport on Earth? And what American can say they ever heard of this place? Must be a slow news day.

    • Stuart Reply
      December 18, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      Kind of shocking that you are questioning the importance of Accra and Ghana. Ghana has some of the strongest business ties to the U.S. among the African nations. It has a booming tech industry and has been one of the model nations for doing business there compared to its nearby neighbors. It’s not without its problems but has tremendous potential. Which is why you have both Delta and United serving it.

      Back in the day Ghana Airways actually flew to BWI on DC 10’s. The DMV has significant business ties and trade with Ghana and has for years. I believe an almost daily cargo flight still operates from BWI as well.

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