The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has announced a series of stringent measures aimed at eliminating extortion and other unacceptable conduct at airports across the country.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, GACL disclosed that a high-level stakeholder facilitation meeting was convened to address persistent reports of extortion, commonly described as begging, involving personnel operating within airport terminals.
As part of the new measures, stakeholders have agreed to introduce a “mystery shopping” initiative, where undercover individuals will monitor and identify staff engaged in extortion. Offenders will be publicly exposed through appropriate media platforms under a “name and shame” approach to discourage the practice and strengthen accountability.
GACL warned that any staff member found guilty of extortion will face disciplinary action and will no longer be allowed to work at any airport or within airport environments.
To encourage public participation, management has also established a dedicated hotline, 0542175636, available via calls, WhatsApp, and SMS, for passengers to report incidents involving personnel from agencies and service providers operating at the airports. These include the Ghana Immigration Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ghana Police Service, airlines, ground handling companies, private security firms, concessionaires, and other airport service providers.
The company urged passengers making reports to provide the date and time of the incident, the officer’s name, the agency involved, and the location of the incident to aid investigations.
GACL further reminded travellers that they have the right to request the official airport identification card of anyone claiming to represent an agency at the airport to verify their identity. Passengers are also advised to obtain receipts for all payments made at the airport and to report any suspicious activity through the dedicated hotline.
Management of GACL, together with airport stakeholders, appealed to the public to support the initiative, stressing that collective efforts are essential to safeguarding the reputation of Ghana’s airports and advancing the country’s vision of becoming West Africa’s preferred aviation hub.
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