Kotoka International Airport

Kotoka International Airport (IATA: ACC, ICAO: DGAA) is an international airport in Accra, the capital of Ghana. It has the capacity for large aircraft such as the Airbus A380.[2] The airport is operated by Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), which has its offices on the airport property.[3]

Kotoka International Airport
Accra Air Force Station
Summary
Airport typePublic / Military
OperatorGhana Airports Company Ltd
ServesAccra, Greater Accra
Hub forAfrica World Airlines
Time zoneGMT (0+)
Elevation AMSL205 ft / 62 m
Coordinates05°36′16.8″N 000°10′02.6″W
Websitegacl.com.gh
Map
ACC
Location of the airport in Ghana
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
03/21 11,165 3,403 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Passengers3,019,065
Source:[1]

In 2019, the airport saw 3.019 million passengers. It presently serves as a hub for domestic and regional operator Africa World Airlines, and a base for domestic operator Passion Air. It is the sole international airport in Ghana.

The airport consists of two passenger terminals, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Terminal 2 serves only domestic flights, while Terminal 3 serves regional, international and long-haul operators.[4] Terminal 1 is presently no longer in use, but will be redeveloped into an FBO.[5]

There is also a VVIP terminal used for diplomatic flights, and a military terminal used for military operations.

History

The airport was originally a military airport used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II. The facility was handed over to civilian authorities after the war. A development project was launched in 1956 by President Kwame Nkrumah to reconfigure the structure into a terminal building. The project was completed in 1958, turning the military base into an airport with a capacity of 500,000 passengers per year.[6] The airport was originally named Accra International Airport.

In 1969, the Accra International Airport was renamed Kotoka 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.

Construction officially commenced on 1 March 2016 on a new $274 million Terminal 3 which is capable of handling 5 million passengers a year, with an expansion potential of up to 6.5 million. The sold cutting was done by President John Dramani Mahama and Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan.[7] The 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 opened to passengers on 15 September 2018.[8]

Controversy over airport name

There has been considerable debate over the years as to whether it was fitting to rename the airport from Accra International Airport to Kotoka International Airport after General Kotoka. Many argue that the airport was built by Nkrumah, and that it is not fitting to rename it after Kotoka, who led a coup to overthrow Nkrumah's government.[9][10][11]

Airlines and destinations
An Africa World Airlines ERJ-145LR at Kotoka International Airport

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Africa World Airlines Abidjan, Abuja, Freetown, Kumasi, Lagos, Monrovia, Takoradi, Tamale, Wa[12]
Air Burkina Ouagadougou
Air Côte d'Ivoire Abidjan
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou
Air Peace Abuja, Lagos, Monrovia
Air Senegal Dakar–Diass, Lagos
Arik Air Lagos, Monrovia
ASKY Airlines Banjul, Freetown, Lomé, Monrovia
British Airways London–Heathrow
Brussels Airlines Brussels
Delta Air Lines New York–JFK
EgyptAir Abidjan, Cairo
Emirates Abidjan, Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Kenya Airways Freetown, Monrovia, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
KLM Amsterdam
Middle East Airlines Beirut
Passion Air Kumasi, Tamale
Qatar Airways Doha [13]
Royal Air Maroc Casablanca
RwandAir Kigali
South African Airways Johannesburg–OR Tambo, Washington–Dulles
TAP Air Portugal Lisbon, São Tomé
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
Terminal 2 exterior

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Cargolux Luxembourg
DHL Aviation
operated by Swiftair		 Abidjan, Lagos
Emirates SkyCargoDubai-Al Maktoum
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo Addis Ababa, Lagos, Liège
Qatar Airways Cargo Lagos, Doha, Brussels, London–Stansted [14]
Air Ghana Abidjan, Lagos, Lome
Turkish Cargo Maastricht/Aachen, Istanbul-Atatürk

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.[15]
  • 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.[16]
  • 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.[17]
  • On 10 January 2015 an ASKY Airlines Boeing 737-43QSF (leased to Ethiopian Airlines), was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident and runway excursion at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana. The aircraft was written off and there were no fatalities.

References
  1. https://www.gacl.com.gh/traffic-statistics-2019/#1579764096398-4e9572d2-5069
  2. "A380 to Accra, Ghana from Dubai on Emirates | Travel News | eTurboNews". Travel News | eTurboNews. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  3. "Ghana Airports Company Ltd". Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.. "Ghana Airports Company Ltd".
  4. "New Terminal at Accra Airport now fully operational|".
  5. "McDan gets licence to operate private jet section at KIA T1|".
  6. "Ghana Airports Company Limited | Home :: GACL". www.gacl.com.gh. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  7. "Mahama, Turkish leader cut sod for Terminal 3 project at KIA". Graphic Online. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  8. "New Terminal at Accra Airport now fully operational|".
  9. "Kwame Nkrumah International Airport - Why Not?". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  10. "Renaming Kotoka International Airport- A slight difference". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  11. Graphic, Daily. "Rename Kotoka International Airport - Samia Nkrumah - Graphic Online". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  12. "Ghana's Africa World Airlines first to serve Wa". ch-aviation.com. 6 September 2019.
  13. https://www.qatarairways.com/en/press-releases/2020/January/KAS2020.html?activeTag=Press-releases
  14. https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/279586/qatar-airways-cargo-schedules-one-way-accra-london-sector-from-august-2018/
  15. "Cargo plane crashes in Ghanaian capital, killing 10 on bus". BNO News. 4 June 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  16. "Serious incident" (PDF). aaib.gov.uk (PDF).
  17. "Update: 10 dead as Cargo plane crashes into Hajj Village". edition.myjoyonline.com. 2 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012.

Media related to Kotoka International Airport at Wikimedia Commons

Airport information for DGAA at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.

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