Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi commissioned

Prempeh I International Airport commissioned

The Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi has been opened under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s direction.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, aided him in the historic commissioning.

Notable figures from the New Patriotic Party, government officials, and traditional leaders attended the May 10 commissioning ceremony of the former Kumasi International Airport.

With this, most people in the Ashanti Region and the northern portion of the country would soon be free of the tradition of moving to Accra, the nation’s capital, before boarding a plane to travel abroad.

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The refurbished Kumasi Airport, formally named Prempeh I International Airport, has been officially opened for business by President Akufo-Addo.

The idea of Kumasi Airport becoming an international airport excited the locals greatly when construction began on May 2018.

At a cost of 66 million euros, this involved creating a new terminal building, parking lots, VVIP and VIP lounges, restaurants, commercial spaces, boarding gates and a power plant.

Due to budgetary limitations, the third and final phase, which was supposed to be finished by June 2023, experienced a significant setback.

At a cost of 58 million euros, it included the extension of the current runway, the building housing the air traffic control centre, the installation of a new taxi link, the fire station and an aeronautical ground illumination system.

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With a capacity to handle 800,000 passengers annually and 200 passengers per hour, the airport is now ready for international flights even if the original completion timeline was not met.

President Akufo-Addo stated during the facility’s commissioning that the Kumasi Airport’s transformation;

The conversion of Kumasi Airport into an international airport, according to President Akufo-Addo, is bringing a vision to life.

The Ashanti Region’s residents hold great sentimental value for this project in addition to its importance to the government.

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It will serve as a symbol of growth and development in addition to providing for the requirements of the Ashanti Region’s citizens.

The airport will play a significant role in fostering cross-cultural exchange, fostering international trade and tourism, and creating economic links.

The Juabenhene Nana Otuo Siribuor II praised the President for finishing the project on behalf of the Asantehene.

“The airport’s operation would lower our travel expenses because, on occasion, inclement weather prevents flights to Kumasi from leaving Accra.

You must travel by road to Kumasi or stay in a hotel. Nana Otuo Siribuo II expressed gratitude to the President for keeping his word to the good people of Ashanti.

However, how is this being received by Kumasi residents?

The opening of the airport, according to Michael Sarpong, President of the Car Rentals Association of Ghana, will open up numerous economic opportunities.

“We’ve been anticipating this airport’s completion for a long time, and we’re excited right now,” he said.

“Now that we have an international airport here, it is coming as a relief and we would not have to use Accra as the main route to travel outside the country,” said Success Prince Duah Mensah, a resident.

However, since operation of the new facility is not beginning immediately, it looks that Kumasi residents will have to wait a few months to fully benefit from it.

The commissioning of the terminal and its auxiliary facilities, such the radar and control tower, does not, according to Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, represent the end of the work. “At the end of June, we will complete certain renovations at the terminal before we launch full commercial operations.

This will enable us to recognize and address any potential problem. Both the runway extension and the taxi connector are still under construction. It is anticipated that the runway extension would be finished in August or September.

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