Wa Airport · IATA WZA · ICAO DGLW · Upper West Region · Checked October 2026

Wa Airport: one flight a day to Ghana's far north-west

By road, Wa is a long, tiring day from Accra: twelve hours or more on a bus, through Kumasi and the savannah. By air it is a little over an hour and a half. Wa Airport is small, quiet and served by a single airline, but it has turned the capital of the Upper West Region from the most remote regional capital in southern minds into a morning flight away. Here is what flies, when, and what waits for you when you land.

Wa Airport in brief

Key facts

Codes: IATA WZA, ICAO DGLW.
Serves: Wa, capital of the Upper West Region.
Operator: Ghana Airports Company Limited.
Airline: Passion Air, the only scheduled airline in October 2026.
Route: Accra–Wa, about 1 hour 40 minutes, around 563 km in the air.
Aircraft: Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop, 78 seats.
Passengers: 23,352 in 2024 and 24,970 in 2025, according to Ghana Civil Aviation Authority figures.
Time zone: GMT, the same as all of Ghana.

Flights to and from Wa: the real timetable

One aircraft flies up from Accra in the morning and returns around midday, six days a week.

Route	Times (local)	How often	Notes
Accra → Wa	09:50 → 11:30	6 a week	Non-stop, Dash 8 Q400.
Wa → Accra	about 12:00 → 13:40	6 a week	Same aircraft, back the same day.

Read this before booking

These times come from published schedules and flight logs up to October 2026. Passion Air's flight numbers on this route have changed several times, and one day each week has no flight. Always check your exact date on flypassionair.com before you plan the rest of your journey. With one flight a day, a cancellation means a day lost, or the long road.

Passion Air: the full guide Accra International Airport Accra arrivals today

Wa right now

The weather in Wa at this moment, the time in Ghana, and a converter between cedis and the main currencies.

The weather matters here

The Upper West has one rainy season, roughly May to October, and a long dry season. From December to February the Harmattan wind blows dust down from the Sahara: the sky turns hazy, mornings are cool and evenings dry. Thick Harmattan haze can delay or cancel small-aircraft flights. March and April are the hottest months, with afternoons often near 40 °C.

A short history of a small airport

For years Wa had an airstrip but almost no flights. Plans to lengthen it reached the news in 2013, when more than 300 houses were marked for demolition to make room. Scheduled flights finally began in 2019, when Africa World Airlines became the first airline to serve Wa. In 2020 the press reported safety problems at the airport that still had to be fixed.

In December 2021 Passion Air started flying to Wa three times a week, via Tamale. The service later became non-stop and grew to five, then six flights a week. Today Passion Air is the only airline at Wa. Passenger numbers are small by Accra's standards, but they keep growing: almost 25,000 people used the airport in 2025.

From the airport into Wa

Taxi: taxis meet the flight. The ride into town is short; agree the fare before you get in.
Arrange a pickup: with only one flight a day, ask your hotel to send a driver, especially if you are going on to Wechiau, Gwollu or Nakore.
Car hire: there are no international rental desks. Hire a car with a driver through your hotel or a local operator.
Leaving Wa: arrive at the airport well before the midday departure. The terminal is small, check-in closes early, and there is little to buy inside.

By road instead

Buses run from Accra and Kumasi to Wa, many of them overnight, and from Tamale and Bolgatanga in the north. From Accra expect twelve to fourteen hours, depending on the route and the roads. Wa is also the gateway to Burkina Faso, through the border town of Hamile, and on towards Ouagadougou.

The Upper West: what you came for

The Upper West is Ghana's least-visited region, and for that reason one of its most rewarding: savannah, baobabs, mud-built mosques, walls built against the slave raiders of the 19th century, and hippos in the Black Volta. Wa, its capital, is a calm, mostly Muslim town of markets, motorbikes and the palace of the Wa Naa.

Wa: untouched northern beautyOur full guide to the Upper West's capital on Ghana-Net.com.
Wa Naa's PalaceThe mud-built palace of the paramount chief, in the Sudano-Sahelian style, in the centre of town.
Wechiau Hippo SanctuaryCommunity-run reserve on the Black Volta, on the border with Burkina Faso, where you watch hippos from a canoe.
Nakore MosqueOne of Ghana's ancient mud mosques with wooden spikes, a short drive from Wa.
Gwollu Defence WallWalls built in the 19th century to protect the town from slave raiders. Gwollu was also the home of President Hilla Limann.
The ancient mud mosquesNakore, Larabanga and the other mud mosques, on our museums and heritage page.

Further across the north

Tours across Northern Ghana: Mole, Tamale, the Upper East and the Upper West. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Honest tips for flying to Wa

One flight, no backup. If the flight is cancelled, the next one is usually the next day. Never book a tight onward international connection from Wa.
Connecting at Accra. Domestic flights use a different terminal from international ones. Leave several hours between an international arrival and the Wa flight, or stay a night in Accra.
Baggage. The Dash 8 has limited space. Check Passion Air's allowance before you pack heavy gifts or equipment.
Cash. Wa has banks and ATMs, but carry cedis for taxis, markets and the trips to Wechiau and Gwollu, where cards are no use.
Dress and respect. Wa is a conservative, largely Muslim town. Dress modestly, and ask before photographing people, mosques or the palace.
Fly in, explore by road. A good plan: fly Accra–Wa, travel by road through the Upper West and Upper East, and fly home from Tamale, which has many more flights.

The other airports of Ghana

Bridge cities across Africa

Flying on from Accra? These city pages cover the airports and routes that link Ghana with the rest of the continent.

GhanaFlights.info home All 24 airlines Africa World Airlines Hotels in the Upper West

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Updated and fact-checked: 28 October 2026. Flight times from published schedules and flight logs up to October 2026; passenger figures from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. Schedules change; always confirm with the airline before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.

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