Kotoka International Airport
Kotoka International Airport Accra Air Force Station | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Ghana Airports Company Ltd | ||||||||||
| Serves | Accra, Greater Accra | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Time zone | Greenwich Mean Time (0+) | ||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | GMT (1+) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 205 ft / 62 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 05°36′16.8″N 000°10′02.6″W / 5.604667°N 0.167389°W | ||||||||||
| Website | [1] | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  ACC Location of the airport in Ghana | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2014) | |||||||||||
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Kotoka International Airport (IATA: ACC, ICAO: DGAA) in Accra, the capital of Greater Accra in the West African country Ghana, is an international airport and has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Boeing 747-8. The airport is operated by Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), which has its offices on the airport property.[4] GACL was established as a result of the decoupling of the existing Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in line with the modern trends in the aviation industry.
History
The airport company was registered in January 2006 and commenced trading on 1 January 2007 tasked with the responsibility for planning, developing, managing and maintaining all airports and aerodromes in Ghana namely Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the Ashantiland Peninsula's domestic airports at Kumasi's Kumasi International Airport, Sunyani's Sunyani Airport and Sekondi-Takoradi's Takoradi Airport.
In 2014, the airport saw 2.547 million passengers. It presently serves as a base for domestic operators Africa World Airlines, Starbow Airlines, and Antrak Air.
Kotoka Airport was renamed from Ghana International Airport, in honour of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926–1967), a member of the National Liberation Council. Kotoka was killed in an abortive coup attempt, at a location which is now the forecourt of the airport.
The airport consists of two passenger terminals, labelled as Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Terminal 1 serves primarily domestic and regional operators, while Terminal 2 serves primarily international and longhaul operators. The terminals are connected by an internal walkway. There is also a VVIP terminal used for diplomatic flights and a military terminal used for military operations. Terminal 2 is the principal international departure terminal and includes restaurants, duty-free shops and two Business Class lounges.
There are two departure lounges located after Immigration. Adinkra which is managed by Aviance and Akwaaba under the management of AHS Menzies. There is a general seating area with a duty-free shop and bars for passenger. State Protocol Lounge is used by Senior Government Officials/Diplomats and VVIPS.
New Terminal Three
Construction officially commenced on 1 March 2016 on a new $250 million Terminal 3 which is capable of handling 5 million passengers a year and will be equipped with new state of the art Facilities. New Terminal 3 will handle 1,250 passengers an hour, equipped with three business lounges, large commercial and retail area and six boarding bridges. The terminal is expected to be completed by end of July 2017.[5]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Accidents and incidents
- On 5 June 2000, a Ghana Airlink Fokker F-27 en route from Tamale to Accra crashed on approach to Kotoka International Airport. Six people were killed.[9]
- On 28 January 2009, a Ghana International Airlines Boeing 757 operating from Accra to London Gatwick, United Kingdom, with 96 passengers and nine crew reported anomalies with the control systems when climbing out of Accra. The crew declared a mayday and made a safe return to Kotoka International Airport where the remains of a beetle-like creature were discovered to be obstructing the left pitot system.[10]
- On 2 June 2012, an Allied Air Boeing 727 cargo aircraft operating from Lagos to Accra on behalf of DHL with 4 crew overshot the runway while landing in heavy rain. At least 12 people on the ground were killed. The 4 crew all survived.[11]
References
- ^ "Arik Air Launch Scissor Hub in Accra from late-April 2014". Airline Route. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
- ^ "Airport Traffic Statistics". Ghana Airports Company Limited. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
- ^ List of the busiest airports in Africa
- ^ "GACL Contact". ghanaairports.com.gh. Ghana Airports Company Limited. Retrieved 8 December 2011.. "Ghana Airports Company Ltd. KA PMB 36, KIA, Accra, Ashantiland, Ghana".
- ^ "Mahama and Turkish leader cut sod for Terminal 3 project at KIA".
- ^ [Accra, new Air France destination in Ghana http://www.airfranceklm.com/en/accra-new-air-france-destination-ghana]
- ^ http://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2016/October-31st/cronos-airlines-starts-operations-in-ghana.php
- ^ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/268379/rwandair-network-adjustment-from-sep-2016/
- ^ "Cargo plane crashes in Ghanaian capital, killing 10 on bus". BNO News. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
- ^ "Seriuos incedent" (PDF). aaib.gov.uk (PDF).
- ^ "Update: 10 dead as Cargo plane crashes into Hajj Village". edition.myjoyonline.com. 2 August 2012.
External links
Media related to Kotoka International Airport at Wikimedia Commons