President John Mahama’s departure from Accra on Sunday, August 17, 2025, for official visits to Japan and Singapore has been surrounded by controversy.
While the Presidency stated that the trip was intended to strengthen bilateral ties and promote investment, opposition MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah claimed that the President boarded a private jet, a Bombardier Challenger 605 with registration M-BAEP, creating a heated public controversy.
However, flight-tracking data reveals a different story. FlightRadar records show that the Challenger 605 in question left Accra on the same day but went to Berlin, Germany, where it has been since August 17. This information alone refutes accusations that the President used the jet for his Asian journey.
Adding to the confusion, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP and government spokesperson, stated that President Mahama did not go on a private plane but rather on a standard Emirates commercial flight. Further flight data supports his allegation.
The Emirates Connection
Emirates provides a structured daily service between Accra (ACC) and Dubai (DXB). The B777 EK 787 flight departs Dubai every morning and arrives in Accra before midday. Its return service, EK 788, left Accra around 6:00 p.m. local time and arrives in Dubai at 6:15 a.m. the following day.
On August 17, 2025, this schedule was maintained. According to FlightRadar, EK 788 departed Accra at 6:16 p.m., slightly behind schedule, and arrived in Dubai at 6:16 a.m. on August 18, almost exactly on time. This flight provides a seamless connection from Dubai to Asia.
Two days later, on August 19, the President was spotted in Tokyo, Japan, after boarding Emirates A380 Flight EK 318, which operates the Dubai-Tokyo Narita (NRT) route. Flight data reveals that EK 318 departed from Dubai rather than Accra, implying that the President must have taken EK 788 from Accra to Dubai before connecting to Tokyo.
Why the confusion?
The controversy surrounding President Mahama’s vacation has deeper political roots. Much of the mistrust arises from the precedent set under the Akufo-Addo government, when the then-opposition NDC sharply criticised the President for routinely renting private jets rather than Ghana’s presidential aircraft, the Dassault Falcon 900EX.
At the time, opposition leaders requested that President Akufo-Addo utilise the state’s own jet, criticising private charter use as wasteful and unneeded. The government at the time, however, insisted that the Falcon was “unfit for purpose.”
The data supports the fact that M-BAEP occurred in Berlin, not Tokyo or Singapore. EK 788 left Accra on the President’s scheduled departure date and arrived in Dubai the next morning. On August 19, the President arrived in Tokyo aboard EK 318 from Dubai.
Taken together, these flight movements strongly suggest that President Mahama flew on an Emirates commercial service, rather than a private jet, for the first part of his voyage.
