The new flagship US$274 million Terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is expected to be completed and opened for use by the first quarter of next year, Aviation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, told journalists during a tour of on-going projects at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

“Basically, the total project cost for now is supposed to be around US$274m and is expected that by the end of this year we should do 85percent of the project and the first quarter of next year, it should be opened,” she said.

The new terminal, to be known as Terminal Three (T3), is expected to take pressure off the existing two terminals, improve the existing on-ground infrastructure in line with growing international travel demand, and position the country as an attractive aviation hub in the sub-region.

The project is a part of GACL's capital investment programme that entails the construction of a new terminal at KIA and the rehabilitation of other regional airports managed by GACL.

On completion, the new terminal, designed for international traffic, will ease the pressure on the existing two terminals and is expected to handle up to five million passengers a year, with an expansion potential up to 6.5 million passengers.

The expansion also supports the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda that emphasizes the need for rehabilitating and expanding infrastructural facilities in the transport sector.

The new terminal will have capacity to process 1,250 passengers at peak hours, a large retail and commercial area, three business lounges, six fixed links and seven air bridges expandable to eight, and parking space with capacity to handle more than 700 cars.

Ms. Dapaah said government is keen to ensure that on-going projects in the country, especially in the aviation sector, would not only be of the highest standard but represent good “value for money.”