Kumasi International Airport

Upgrades into an Kumasi International Airport

The Kumasi Airport attained its international status in 2014. However, the airport only operated on a regional level even though it had the full complement of security, customs, and immigration staff in place since 2003. Even though it had

attained that status, work to upgrade the physical structures was yet to be put in place fully. The Kumasi Airport has undergone several rehabilitation and upgrades to become help ensure its status as international airport.

In 2012, initial renovation works were started on the existing facilities involved patching and filing of cracks on the main runway, construction of additional waiting room and building a car park to make way for future renovation and upgrades targeted for the following year.

Expansion projects

Phase 1: In 2013, the Government of Ghana embarked upon a phased development of the Kumasi Airport to provide the requisite infrastructure for safe domestic and international operations to ensure safety and comfort for passengers whilst ensuring Ghana had a fully functioning international airport along with Kotoka International Airport.

Phase 1 works to upgrade the Kumasi Airport to international standard was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014. The first phase consisted of the rehabilitation of the defective runway and installation of airfield lights and aeronautical ground lights on the runway to facilitate night operations at the airport. The commissioning of the Phase 1 which happened in December 2014, was earmarked with a historic first night landing by the then President John Dramani Mahama Prior to this upgrade an Instrument Landing System (ILS) was installed to aid pilots for take off and land.

Phase 2: Passion Air Bombardier Dash8-Q400 registered 9G-MRH at Kumasi Airport in Kumasi, Ghana Plans to start working on the phase 2 which is to cost around €65 million had been decided by November 2016, the project covered mainly the construction of a new two-storey ultra-modern terminal of 7,000 square metres of space based on a 400- passenger per hour and an annual passenger traffic forecast of 1,500,000, parking areas and a ring road around the airport. The building is to also include spaces like VVIP and VIP lounges, restaurants, commercial areas, three boarding gates, a central screening system for passengers, an IATA standard baggage handling system and also offices for the airline companies.

In December 2016, President John Dramani Mahama along with a representative of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asafohene Acheamfuo Kwame Akowuah cut the sod for work to begin on the second phase of the Kumasi Airport project by Contracta Engenhiria Ltd

In June 2018, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut sod for the second phase of the expansion of Kumasi Airport, which is expected to be completed in 24 months. It will see the expansion of the runway from 1,981 meters to 2,300 meters, and the construction of a new terminal building with a capacity of 1 million passengers per year.

Phase 3: In April 2019, the Parliament of Ghana approved a budget of €58.9 million for Phase 3 of the development of the Kumasi Airport. Phase 3 includes an extension of the terminal building, a fire station, fire access routes and an air control tower. It also includes the extension of the car park and access roads, an apron extension, a runway strip, and an airside service road. The second and third phases are currently being done concurrently and are expected to be completed by October 2022.