Ghana Air Force deems state jet unreliable for President Mahama

Ghana's state jet being stuck in a French repair shop for months is exactly why the president is flying his brother's plane instead.

Government blames Air Force concerns for jet swap

• Felix Ofosu Kwakye explained the arrangement on March 12.
• Ghana's Air Force flagged security and reliability issues directly.
• Frequent breakdowns made the state aircraft a nonstarter.
• Even minor operations reportedly triggered expensive repairs.

Kwakye frames it as a temporary budget-friendly fix

• Mahama uses his brother's jet to avoid chartering costs.
• Arrangement stays until a reliable state aircraft arrives.
• Kwakye stressed this setup is not permanent at all.
• Limited options forced the government's hand for the moment.

Presidential Falcon 900EX stuck in France for repairs

• Ghana shipped the jet to Dassault's Le Bourget facility in March 2025.
• Mandatory inspection uncovered fuel-tank corrosion problems.
• The right-hand wing tank leaked after initial repairs were done.
• Panel reinstallation caused yet another setback during the fix.

The repair saga turned into a cascade of issues

• Ernest Brogya Genfi briefed Parliament back in November 2025.
• Dassault called in the original wing manufacturer for help.
• Wing restoration eventually got completed after OEM intervention.
• Final testing is still needed before the jet flies home.

Return depends on clearing multiple safety checks

• Fuel-tank leak tests are part of the final sequence.
• A third engine ground run is also required.
• The repaired panel needs repainting before the acceptance flight happens.
• Certification for safe flight must come before any departure.