Ghana's Minister of Transport, Alhaji Collins Dauda, yesterday announced the signing of a
Memorandum of Understanding with the China Airports
Construction Corporation (CACC) to undertake a feasibility study for a
conceptual design for a new international airport to be situated near Prampram in Dangbe-East District, near Accra. |
| The new airport's location in relation to Kotoka Airport, Accra |
The minister disclosed that the Ghanaian government is in the process of acquiring 16'000 acres (6'475 hectares) of land for the new airport near Pampram, with its completion intended to solve Accra's Kotoka International Airport current capacity constraints, as well as handle projected future traffic growth. Tamale Airport will also be upgraded in order to act as an alternative to Kotoka, with the USD150million funding to come from Brazil’s national Export-Import bank, BNDES, and construction to be handled by the Brazilian Infrastructure Development Company.
Source [Ghanaian Government]“The regional airports will also undergo a facelift to support the growing domestic traffic whilst the programme for upgrading Tamale Airport as an alternative international airport to KIA, which has been initiated, would be continued next year. Other projects, which are being planned and will take off next year under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) arrangement, include airport business centre; new office block for freight forward; new airline office complex; warehousing facilities; Maintenance, Repair and Operate (MRO) services, and multi-storey car parks,” he said.
At present, Kotoka International Airport, whose through traffic has increased by over 200 per cent over the last 10 years, is in the process of rehabilitating and improving its current infrastructure, which will result in:
- the re-construction of the existing parallel taxiway and rapid exit turn offs;
- repairs to runway 03/21's Touch down zone,
- the installation of new AGL systems;
- the re-construction and enlargement of the existing Southern apron to 77'000sqm to allow for 8Nr Code E aircraft;
- the construction of aerobridges;
- the installation of new fuel main / hydrant system.
In September, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Airports Company Limited, Doreen Owusu Fianko, said the expansion works at the Kotoka International Airport would be completed in two-and-a- half years.
With Ghana's aviation scene set to flourish in the coming future, Ghana's government has embarked on a plan to refurbish and improve the country's various airports, with Kumasi Airport being the most recent beneficiary.