Togbe Afede’s Aviation Investment is Entering A New Phase As AWA Acquires It’s First E190

For Togbe Afede XIV, Africa World Airlines (AWA) is more than an airline. It is another chapter in a business career that has stretched from financial services into power, infrastructure and aviation.

Now, that aviation bet is entering a new phase.

AWA has taken delivery of its first Embraer E190, marking a significant change in the scale of aircraft entering its fleet. The aircraft arrived in Accra on September 19, 2026, shortly after the airline restored its Accra Abidjan route.

The E190 is also a step up from the smaller Embraer ERJ-145 jets that helped AWA establish its regional network.

Founded in 2010, AWA was built through a Ghanaian Chinese partnership involving Togbe Afede XIV’s business interests, Ghana’s SSNIT, China-Africa Development Fund and HNA Group.

The airline began commercial operations in 2012, initially building its network around Ghana’s major economic centres before expanding into regional markets.

But the story behind AWA is also the story of its founder.

Togbe Afede XIV, who built his early career in Ghana’s financial-services industry, has pursued businesses across sectors that sit at the heart of economic development from investment and financial services to electricity generation and aviation.

His connection to AWA has also extended beyond boardrooms. He trained to operate the airline’s Embraer 145 aircraft and in 2021 piloted a commercial flight into Ho Airport, adding an unusual personal dimension to his involvement in the airline.

Now comes the E190.

With greater passenger capacity than the ERJ-145, the aircraft gives AWA another tool as it looks to develop its domestic and regional network.