The Tamale International Airport Phase II Project has been officially launched by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia at a festive ceremony in the northern region’s capital.
The project is facilitated under the aegis of the UK-Ghana Business Council (UKGBC), which was founded in 2018 and co-chaired by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. It is a part of the government’s infrastructure development programme for the aviation sector, which aims to advance the aviation industry’s boundaries and establish Ghana as the aviation hub in the West African Sub-Region.
Dr. Bawumia, who broke ground on the Tamale International Airport Phase II project on August 15, 2019, expressed his happiness that it had been finished four years later.
“This project is so dear to the Government and particularly the hard-working people of the Northern Region and its trading partners across the length and breadth of the country and the Sub-Region,” Dr Bawumia stated at the Commissioning, held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
He added, “The completion of this ultra-modern terminal building together with a multi-purpose Terminal and other ancillary facilities are expected to provide the needed impetus for increased economic trading activities and to re-inforce the status of Tamale as a Sub-Saharan Hub Airport for flights to and from neigbouring West African countries and the Sahel Region. The Tamale International Airport will serve as an alternative to the Kotoka International Airport.”
An approximately 5,000 square metre expandable, ultra-modern airport terminal building with an annual passenger throughput of 400,000, a multi-purpose terminal (Hajj Facility), a 5 km single carriageway access road, a 330 space parking garage, a technical hub to manage electricity, waste water treatment, and other essentials, as well as other ancillary facilities, are among the projects that have been undertaken at the airport.
The New Terminal Building has a VIP lounge, two boarding gates, two self-service check-in kiosks, eight check-in desks, airline offices, and commercial retail spaces, among other amenities.
The cost of the Tamale Airport Phase II Project’s work is $70 million, which is considerably less than the $110 million cost incurred under Phase I, which was completed between 2014 and 2016. However, the scope of those works, which included extending the runway by one kilometre, installing lights, and partially enclosing the airport, were smaller.
The Vice President noted that the Northern Region is well known for its thriving agricultural and economic activities and that the airport’s location within the Sahelian belt, also known as Ghana’s food basket, is expected to improve access to markets for local agricultural products, boost tourism, and draw visitors from nearby countries.
“Indeed, Government intends to use Tamale International Airport to support the programmes of the Northern Development Authority (NDA) of Ghana to harness fresh agricultural produce for export to other parts of the world and to generate employment and create wealth in this geographical zone.
“The boost in agriculture would be leveraged to support the development of Agro-based industries in Northern Ghana. The expansion of the Tamale International Airport is expected to serve as a catalyst for industrialization and rapid socio-economic development.
“It is my hope that other service providers will leverage the completion of this project to invest in other areas such as the establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, development of cargo facilities and cold stores for export of fresh produce and establishment of Aviation Training Organization (ATO) among others.”
Dr. Bawumia continued that the airport’s expansion is strategically important because it will make it easier for Muslims to travel to Mecca for their yearly pilgrimage.
“Significantly, it is also expected that the Tamale International Airport will make Tamale the Hajj hub in Ghana and facilitate seamless travel directly to Saudi Arabia for the seasonal pilgrimage to Mecca. It is gratifying to note that the multi-Purpose Terminal, which was completed in 2022, has been used in facilitating Hajj Pilgrims in 2022 and 2023.”
Vice President expressed concern about the widespread encroachment on airport lands, warning that it threatens future expansion of our airports and could hamper rescue efforts in the unlikely event of an accident.
“The operators and regulators of our airports, as well as, the Lands Commission need to work closely together to ensure that airport lands are properly protected and well managed not only for future airport expansion but also to safeguard lives and property in the unlikely event of an accident occurring at or around the airport enclave. I therefore charge the authorities involved to enforce the law and I also entreat all citizens to cooperate for us to fully benefit from the development of the aviation sector,” he stated.
The Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, urged airline operators in the subregion and beyond to take advantage of the increasing aviation offerings in Ghana, promising them an “unmatched travel experience” to – and in – Ghana.