The Ministry for Aviation has began works to make Kumasi Airport a point of origin for international travels.
This announcement comes after President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the phase two of the Kumasi International Airport which includes a new terminal and an expansion of the Kumasi airport runway.
“Since last year, we have been engaging airlines operating in the country to consider making arrangement for flight tickets to originate from Kumasi so that passengers will transit through Accra” The Minister for Aviation, Cecilia Abena Dapaah explained.
What this will imply is that tickets will for example read, Kumasi –Accra-Lagos or Kumasi –Accra – Dubai etc.
Making Kumasi a place of Origin brings it to its international standards and will create room for more airlines to operate in Ghana’s aviation sector.
Phase II project
In December 2017, Financial Agreements for the Phase II development of the Kumasi Int. Airport was signed between the Ministry of Finance, acting for and on behalf of the government, and Satander S/A which came into effect in April 2018.
The Phase II will see an extension of the runway from the current 1981 meters to 2,300 meters. This, when completed will enable the airport to handle large planes that require an extended runway to land and take off safely.
A new international terminal to handle approximately 1,000,000 passengers per anum is also to be constructed as part of Phase II of the project.
Rise in commercial and trading activities
The Ashanti Region is the most populous and one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.
Kumasi, the Ashanti (formerly spelt Asante) Regional capital has historically been an important reference for the use of Adinkra symbols and craftsmanship. With sprawling vegetation cover, the city is an important tourist destination noted for its commerce, mining and manufacturing.
Over the past two decades, there has been rapid growth in commercial activities in the city, chiefly because of its ideal location in the middle-belt of the country. After Accra, Kumasi is the second-largest city in Ghana in terms of size and population.
Traders, farmers and cattle owners from Brong Ahafo and the northern parts of Ghana bring their wares to large markets in Kumasi to sell every day. A visit to the Kejetia Market, West Africa’s largest open-air market right in the heart of Kumasi, reveals a large volume of trade carried out on a daily basis.
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