KIA terminal expansion project underway
The Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) is investing US$292 million in terminal infrastructure at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
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The project covers the extension of Terminal Two at the cost of US$42 million and the construction of Terminal Three at US$250 million.
The Managing Director of the GACL, Mr Charles K Asare, said funding was from the company’s internally generated funds and loans contracted from financial institutions.
Amandi Holdings Limited is undertaking the project at Terminal Two, while Mapa Construction and Trade Company Incorporated is constructing Terminal Three.
Minister’s visit
During a visit by the Minister of Transport, Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey and senior officials of the ministry, including the Chief Director, Mr Twumasi Ankra Seiby to the airport last Tuesday, Mr Asare said the company had also partnered a private developer, Swissport to construct a transshipment cargo centre at the airport.
The visit was to introduce the minister to the company and update him on the progress of work towards the transformational agenda of the company.
The minister and his team inspected the transshipment cargo centre, the terminal two and terminal three projects.
The company is envisioned to become the preferred aviation hub and leader in airport business in West Africa.
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Ease congestion
Mr Asare said even though both terminals were yet to be inaugurated, Terminal Two was operating to ease the long queues and congestion at the airport.
Both facilities, according to him, when fully operationalised, were expected to process 7.5 million passengers annually. He added that “Terminal Two will be inaugurated this year, while Terminal Three will be done in July 2017.”
The cargo complex, he said, would be equipped with gadgets such as automated storage and retrieval system accommodating 2,800 pallet position, mini-shipment tower, cold store and x-ray scanners.
He further explained that the company had contracted a corporate loan of US$400 million to refurbish the Kumasi and Tamale airports and construct the Wa and Ho airports.
Mr Kwetey commended the management of the company for the good work they were doing and encouraged them to work even harder to advance its operations.
He said the aviation sector was an important contributor to economic development and every support would be given it to grow.
GCAA
Mr Kwetey and his team also visited the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), where management, led by the Director-General, Mr Simon Allotey, took them round to inspect some of the facilities.
They visited the traffic control unit, traffic safety unit, instrument landing system (ILS) and the radio detection and ranging unit (RADAR).
The ILS enables aircraft to land if the pilots are unable to establish visual contact with the runway. It does this by transmitting radio signals, while the Radar transmits radio waves or microwaves that reflect from any object in their path.
Both managements of GACL and GCAA expressed worry about the encroachment on their lands and appealed to the government to put up pragmatic measures to curtail the development.