Test run for the €125 million newly-constructed Kumasi International Airport has begun ahead of the operationalization of the facility for scheduled and charter flights, according to AviationGhana checks.
The Kumasi Airport project is valued at about US$300 million and will comprise the extension of the runway from 1,981m to 2,300m that can accommodate Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, construction of a new two-story ultra-modern terminal, construction of additional aprons, restaurants, shopping and parking areas, and a ring road around the airport.
The new terminal is expected to handle one million passengers per annum. The expansion project is part of the multi-modal transportation system being developed by the government to enhance tourism in the Ashanti Region.
Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, is the busiest domestic destination and it is served by both PassionAir and Africa World Airlines (AWA).
Ghana Airports Company Limited data show that for 2022 more than 800,000 people traveled by air domestically; with the Kumasi Airport receiving the second largest passenger throughput.
The Ashanti Region is the most populous and one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, with an estimated population of 4 million.
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.
