The Kumasi Airport, now named Nana Agyemang Prempeh I International Airport, will be commissioned by the government on May 10, 2024.
Expectations are high as President Akufo-Addo will be joined by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Minister of Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Ghana Airport Company Limited’s Managing Director Yvonne Nana Afiriyie Opare, and other dignitaries to inaugurate the project.
The airport is expected to begin full operations in June 2024 following the commissioning.
The facility, now managed by the Ghana Airport Company Limited, is currently in the process of testing essential equipment for domestic and international flights.
The airport, with a capacity to accommodate over 800,000 passengers annually from the northern and middle belt regions, is poised to meet the growing demand for air travel.
Contractors have revealed plans to expand the runway and will demolish outdated facilities once the new terminal becomes operational.
During a recent project tour with Ghana Airport Company Limited management and board members, Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah expressed satisfaction with the progress.
Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah acknowledged concerns about the long-term maintenance of the airport and stressed its significance for the socioeconomic development of the Ashanti Region and Ghana as a whole.
He noted that the new airport would alleviate the burden on international travelers from the Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, Northern, and Upper Regions by providing a local option for international flights, eliminating the need to travel to Accra.
During a recent courtesy visit to him at the Manhyia Palace, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, praised the government for bringing the airport project to fruition.
He emphasized that given the Ashanti Region’s vibrant economic activities, an international airport would create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
Phase II of the project, which started in 2018, includes the construction of a new terminal building capable of handling one million passengers annually, two boarding bridges, a road network, a perimeter fence, a substation, and a parking lot, among other enhancements.