Aviation Minister, Cecelia Abena Dapaah, has paid a working visit to inspect ongoing works to revamp the runway of the Tamale Airport.

The minister was accompanied by some management of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and other stakeholders toured the Tamale the Tamale airport to ascertain t progress of the first phase and the measures to take to ensure its completion and the commencement of the second.

The GHC130million project will upgrade the airport’s runway to meet international standards and to accommodate bigger air flights to serve the people of the savanna ecological zone and others from the Sahelian regions.

It is being construction by Queiroz Galvao, a Brazilian company and was expected to be completed within a year.

The Tamale airport when completed will habour a cabin, maintenance hub for aircraft service, three sub stations, cold store, cargo section and other facilities that can make it a fully second international airport in Ghana.

According to the sector minister, government intends to make the Tamale Airport the headquarters for the Hajj programmes to facilitate the easy airlifting of pilgrims directly to Mecca.

She said the ministry in collaboration with the GCAA was going to study the scope of work to see what is needed for the second phase adding that there is the need for value for the funds contracted as loans d to accomplish the project.

“We have seen things for ourselves and therefore we are going back to the drawing board to see and compare what we were expecting and what we have found” she said.

Ms. Dapaah also commended the chiefs of Tamale for their commitment towards releasing of land for the airport projects.

The aviation minister also hinted at the establishment of an aviation training school in the country to groom persons interested in the aviation sector as part of efforts to provide jobs for the teeming youth to alleviate poverty.

The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Sa-eed, called for the timely completion of works at the airport to enable the region harness its huge agricultural potential.

He said the completion of the airport would help airlift the farm produce to the European country that would ensure value for money.

He noted that if the cargo unit is put up, it will help encourage more youths to venture into agriculture which is the backbone of the economy.

He said government is committed towards using planting to create foods and jobs of for the people to reduce food insecurity in the country.

In that regard, he said, a conscious policy has been designed to engage women within the productive age bracket are empowered in the agricultural sector.