Sunyani Airport First Phase Ready for Commissioning by the President Nana Akufo Addo-Minister of Transport.

Sunyani Airport First Phase to Be Commissioned by the President Nana Akufo Addo-Transport Minister. 

The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will commission the Sunyani Airport for domestic flight operation to begin this year as the first phase of the airport completed, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport has announced.

The Minister said, the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion of the airport was virtually completed, saying the President would also perform a ground-breaking ceremony for work to begin on the second phase of the project.

Mr Asiamah gave the announcement when he inspected the progress of work on the facility in Sunyani on Tuesday July 19, 2022 in Ghana.

He was accompanied by the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West Honourable Ignatius Baffour-Awuah also the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Honourable Kwasi Ameyaw-Chereme, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East and some senior officials of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Mr Asiamah said, he was highly impressed about the work done so far, particularly on the runway and commended the contractors of the project for the good work.

He expressed worry about the level of encroachment on the airport’s land, saying discussion are ongoing between the GACL, GACC, traditional authorities and the encroachers to help resolve the situation.

Mr Asiamah cautioned estate developers, individuals and all potential land buyers to be vigilant in order not to encroach on the remaining land at the Airport.

Honourable Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister explained that, the commissioning of the facility would open up the region and spur rapid socio-economic growth and development.

She said, it was always hectic for people in the region to travel long hours to Accra and expressed the hope that the people would patronize the facility to enhance domestic air transport.

The Regional Minister added that, she was optimistic that the facility would be commissioned for commercial flight operation in the next two weeks, saying Passion Air and other domestic airlines are all ready to commence operations in Sunyani Regional airport.

She emphasised the Bono Region had huge economic prospects, saying, flight operations would open up the regional capital, boost economic activities, and spur rapid socio-economic growth and development.

The Sunyani Airport was originally constructed as an Airstrip and later upgraded into an airport in 1969 and it currently has a total runway length of about 1,520.

In 2015, GACL and the GCAA shut down the airport as a precautionary measure to forestall disaster.

The Managing Director for the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Pamela Djamson-Tettey pegged the progress of work on the facility at 99.99 per cent which she hopes to it starts receiving aircrafts any moment from now pending approval from the regulatory bodies.

Story by Opamago Paparichy.