Preliminary designs for a new international airport for the country have been presented to the Ghana Airports Company Limited at a ceremony in Accra, witnessed by the Minister of Transport, Mrs. Dzifa Attivor.

The design has a proposed annual passenger throughput of 4.5 million, an annual passenger aircraft movement of 33,835, and a peak hour passenger aircraft movement of 12. In addition, China Airport Civil Construction (CACC) has made provision for 13 passenger aprons. A passenger apron is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refuelled, or boarded.

The new airport is to be located at Prampram in the Dangbe West District of the Greater Accra Region and is one of the projects earmarked by the Ministry of transport and the Ghana Airports Company Limited to make the country the aviation hub in the West African sub-region.

Presenting the Feasibility Study and a prototype design of the new airport to officials of the Ministry of Transport and the Ghana Airports Company, Ms Wei Wang of the China Airport Civil Construction Company said their aviation experts have been in Ghana since November last year working on the feasibility study.

The Terminal area is 45,000 square metres, cargo throughput is 30,000 tonnes, and there is a cargo warehouse area of 7,000 square metres as well as a car park area of 42,000 square metres among other details.

The CACC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry in September 2012 to begin a feasibility study on the new international airport.

According to Ms. Wang, the report has already been presented to the Ministry and the Ghana Airport Company for review and comments.

“The second feasibility study report was also submitted to both organisations in April this year, and we are waiting for their response,” Ms. Wang stated.

She expressed hope that both entities will review and submit their comments on the feasibility and designs to enable them complete efforts for sourcing funds.

Mrs. Attivor expressed her appreciation for the presentation and said she was impressed, adding that a technical team has been established to review the report in order for the country to make the best of the situation.

The need for a new international airport for the country has become necessary as both domestic and international travel increases at the Kotoka International Airport.