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British Airways · BA · oneworld · Accra ⇄ London Heathrow & Gatwick

British Airways from Accra: the direct line to London

Every night British Airways flies from Accra to London Heathrow, and three nights a week also to Gatwick. It is the only nonstop link between Ghana and Britain, the route that carries students, families, business people and the hundreds of thousands of British Ghanaians to and fro. British Airways and its forerunners have flown to the Gold Coast and Ghana for more than eighty-five years. Here is what flies, when, and the honest truth about the visa.

British Airways in brief

British Airways was formed in 1974 from two older state airlines, BOAC and BEA, whose roots go back to 1919. Its predecessors flew the colonial "Empire" routes to West Africa, which is why Accra has one of BA's longest relationships in Africa. There is a modern Ghanaian link too: BA's new uniform, the first in twenty years, was designed by the British-Ghanaian Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng.

Key facts

  • Codes: IATA BA, ICAO BAW.
  • Founded: 1974, from BOAC and BEA; roots in 1919.
  • Hubs: London Heathrow (LHR), Terminal 5, and London Gatwick (LGW).
  • Alliance: oneworld, a founding member, with American Airlines, Qatar Airways and Royal Air Maroc.
  • Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 to Heathrow, Boeing 777 to Gatwick. Both have Club Suites business, Premium Economy and Economy.
  • Codeshare: American Airlines sells the Accra flights under its own AA numbers.
  • Frequent flyer programme: The British Airways Club, collecting Avios.
  • In Accra: Terminal 3, Accra International Airport.
  • Flight time Accra–London: about 6 hours 40 minutes to 7 hours.
  • Website: britishairways.com

Flights from and to Accra: the real timetable

British Airways flies daily between Accra and Heathrow, plus three times a week to Gatwick. In winter London and Accra are on the same time; in British summer time London is one hour ahead.

London Heathrow (daily)

FlightRouteTimes (local)Notes
BA81Heathrow → Accraaround midday → early eveningIn summer 2026: 13:30 → about 19:10.
BA78Accra → Heathrow22:10 → 04:50 next dayWinter timetable from 25 October 2026. In summer it landed at 06:15.

London Gatwick (three times a week)

FlightRouteTimes (local)Notes
BA2067Gatwick → Accraabout 12:00 → 18:35Boeing 777.
BA2066Accra → Gatwickabout 21:00 → about 04:00 next dayBoeing 777.

Read this before booking

These times come from published schedules for summer 2026 and the winter timetable from 25 October 2026. The Gatwick days have changed between seasons, so check which days run in your travel month. On Thursdays the Heathrow departure from Accra has run 20 minutes earlier. Always confirm on britishairways.com.

Accra arrivals today London flight page

Ghana and London right now

Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, pounds sterling and the main currencies.

British English for Ghanaian ears

You speak the language already, but a few words work differently:

  • "Alright?": hello. It is not a question about your health; answer "alright?" back.
  • "Cheers": thanks, and also goodbye.
  • "Sorry": said constantly, even when someone else bumps into you.
  • The queue: the British line up for everything. Jumping it is the worst offence.
  • Chips are fried yam's cousin, thick fries; crisps are the thin packet kind.
  • "Mate": friend, or anyone you talk to.
  • The bill: ask for it in a restaurant; it will not come by itself.

The UK: what is waiting at the other end

For many Ghanaians, London is less a destination than a second home: Peckham, Tottenham, Croydon and the neighbourhoods where Ghanaian food, churches and businesses are part of daily life. Britain itself is four nations, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and far more than London. And its history is bound up with the Gold Coast, from the castles at Cape Coast to the museums that still hold Asante treasures taken in 1874.

The United Kingdom in brief

  • Capital: London.
  • Currency: pound sterling (GBP). Contactless card payment is used almost everywhere.
  • Language: English; also Welsh in Wales and Gaelic in parts of Scotland.
  • Time: GMT in winter, the same as Ghana; GMT+1 from late March to late October.
  • Entry for Ghanaians: a Standard Visitor visa is required before travel. There is no ETA option for Ghana. Even for changing planes airside at Heathrow, most Ghanaians need a Direct Airside Transit Visa.
  • Visa reality: in the year to March 2026, about 57 per cent of Ghanaian visitor applications were approved, one of the lowest rates among major nationalities. Strong evidence of funds, work and ties to Ghana is essential.
  • Entry for EU and US passports: visa-free, with an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) applied for online before travel.
  • Plugs: the same three-pin type as Ghana.

The main attractions

The top experiences in Britain: London sightseeing, Stonehenge and Bath day trips, the Harry Potter studios, Edinburgh and the Highlands, with local guides. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

BritainAdventures.com London flight page London: more flights and tips

Where British Airways takes you next

London is one of the best-connected cities in the world, but remember: changing planes in London usually needs a UK transit visa for Ghanaians. These are the most useful onward routes, with their capitals.

Honest tips for this route

  • Apply for the visa early and thoroughly. Bank statements covering several months, proof of employment or business, property or family ties, and a clear purpose. Refusals are common, and a refusal stays on your record for future applications.
  • Do not pay "visa agents" who promise approval. No one can guarantee a UK visa. Apply yourself through gov.uk and the official visa centre in Accra.
  • Heathrow or Gatwick? Heathrow has the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line into London and the most connections. Gatwick has fast trains to central London and South London, near many Ghanaian communities.
  • Arriving at 04:50. The winter overnight flight lands before London wakes up. The tube starts around 05:30, and immigration queues are shorter at that hour.
  • Baggage. BA checks the weight strictly in Accra. Excess on this route is expensive; weigh your bags at home, especially with food parcels.
  • Compare fares. BA is direct but rarely cheap. Royal Air Maroc via Casablanca, Turkish via Istanbul or the European airlines are often cheaper, at the cost of a change of planes, and with their own transit visa rules.

Coming the other way: arriving in Ghana

BA lands in Accra in the early evening, as the heat eases. British visitors need a visa for Ghana, applied for in advance. Start with Accra, then head west to Cape Coast and Elmina, where the castles tell the British and European side of the Gold Coast story honestly, or north to Kumasi and the Asante kingdom.

Accra International Airport December in Ghana

Airport pickup with free internet, private vehicle hire and a three-destination tour, booked before you land. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Read and listen across Africa

Before you fly, tune in to the country you are going to. Live radio from all over the continent, in one place.

All African Radio Stations

All airlines at Accra International Airport

Every airline flying from Accra, each with its own timetable, routes and destination guide.

Bridge cities across Africa

Flying on within Africa after you land in Accra? These city pages cover the airports and the routes that link them with Ghana.

Airlines overview Accra arrivals today Airports of Ghana Flight news

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Part of the Ghana-Net network

GhanaFlights.info belongs to an independent network of more than 70 African travel, heritage and information websites, online since December 2000. No Google advertising, no sponsored praise: just the routes and the countries, as they are.

Ghana-Net.com · BritainAdventures.com · GhanaNet.co.uk · KenyaWebNews.co.uk · Cape Coast Castle Museum · Elmina Castle · Cape Coast War Cemetery · Kumasi Fort · Kakum National Park · GhanaTrails.com · Last Minute Photographer · AfricanIndependence.com

Updated and fact-checked: 29 October 2026. Timetables from published schedules for summer 2026 and the winter timetable from 25 October 2026; UK visa figures from Home Office statistics for the year ending March 2026. Always confirm times with the airline and rules with gov.uk before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.