Kotoka International Airport’s $250m terminal 3 to serve 1,250 passengers an hour

The US$250 million terminal 3 project at the Katoka International Airport, Ghana, which commenced on October 30, 2015 under the John Dramani Mahama administration will process 1,250 passengers per hour to increase passenger throughput.

Ghana Minister of Aviation, Cecilia Abena-Dapaah, said the project, which is 91percent complete will be handed over to the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), next month, April.

According to Abena-Dapaah, the project when completed will have ultramodern facilities and capacity to handle five million passengers a year, adding that the project when completed will place Ghana on the map as the aviation hub in Africa, which will successfully facilitate the movement of people and businesses in and out of the country.

The Sector Minister indicated that the new terminal will comprise five levels spread across an area of 48,268m2 and semi closed areas for the baggage make up areas of 28,260m2 with six boarding bridges and seven links, 700m two large retail area, CIP terminal and 707 car parking slots and a new road network.

“At the arrival, both level 1 and 2 will have 24 immigration counters, four E-gate positions, expandable to six, four inclined carousels expandable to six in the future, a fully automated baggage handling system designed in accordance with the latest European Civil Aviation Conference Hold Baggage Screening requirements expected to handle 3000 bags per hour as well as Meeters and Greeters Area,” she said.

Abena-Dapaah further explained that level 3, which is the departure section will have 56 check-in desks, 30 passport control center, with four e-gate positions, eight central screening security lanes, 22 airline ticketing offices, prescreening area, one business lounge and, six boarding gates plus two bus boarding lounges.

She emphasized that level 4 and 5, which is Mezzanine floor and business lounge will also have food court and two large business lounges respectively, indicating that there will be a breast-feeding area for nursing mothers and playground for kids.

The Managing Director of Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), Mr. John Dekyem Attafuah hints that the contractor will finish works at the end of April, which there will be some remedial works to ensure that everything is up to speed.

“Then we will have our commissioning phase which will take us about two months. So we expect that sometime in the third quarter of this year this facility will be commissioned by President Nana Addo for use,” he said.