Ghana’s presidential jet is back in active service after undergoing an extended eight-month maintenance and repair programme in France.
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, travelled aboard the aircraft to Conakry, Guinea, to attend the investiture ceremony of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya.
Ghana’s presidential jet stuck in France amid major faults, corrosion discovered – Report
The ceremony, held at the Stade Général Lansana Conté, brought together heads of state and high-level delegations from across Africa and beyond.
The vice president’s visit formed part of Ghana’s broader diplomatic efforts to deepen engagements with Guinea, building on longstanding historical ties between the two countries.
She was accompanied by the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Vice President, Alex Segbefia; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; and the Vice President’s Spokesperson, Ama Pratt.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang returned to Ghana on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
Vice President departs Ghana to Guinea
The visit symbolised a renewal of relations between Accra and Conakry at a critical moment for the West African region.
The Falcon 900EX, with registration number 9G-EXE, was grounded in France from March to November 2025, where it underwent major inspections and repairs.
The aircraft was subjected to a compulsory 24-month and 1,600-hour technical inspection, a standard requirement in its maintenance cycle during which technicians uncovered multiple critical defects.
These included severe corrosion in the fuel tanks and engine components, necessitating extensive repairs before the jet could be certified airworthy.
In 2020 and 2021, the jet experienced no delays at the maintenance facility.
However, in 2022 and 2023, the maintenance period was extended by more than two and a half months beyond schedule.
In 2024, the aircraft recorded a further two-month overstay.
In May 2025, the Minister of Defence, the late Dr Edward Omane Boamah, attributed the deteriorated condition of the aircraft to years of neglect by the previous administration, including failure to honour mandatory manufacturer-level inspections and repairs.
He, however, assured the public that the government was exploring cost-effective and safe options to resolve the situation.
At the start of his second term, President John Dramani Mahama relied on a benevolent gesture from his brother and businessman, Ibrahim Mahama, who offered the president and the state unrestricted access to his private jet, an arrangement officials insist came at no cost to the state.
The Falcon 900EX was purchased in 2009 and arrived in Ghana in September 2010. It replaced a 37-year-old Fokker 27 aircraft, which had earned the nickname “flying coffin” due to concerns about its airworthiness.
Watch the moment Prof Opoku-Agyemang arrived in Guinea:
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