Testing at the newly built Kumasi International Airport, which cost €125 million to build, has started, according to AviationGhana inspections.

Prior to the facility becoming operational for scheduled and charter flights later this year, the continued test run is essential.

The Kumasi Airport project, which is estimated to cost $300 million, includes extending the runway from 1,981 metres to 2,300 metres so that it can accommodate Boeing 737-800 series aircraft, building a new, state-of-the-art terminal with two stories, adding more aprons, restaurants, shops, and parking spaces, and building a ring road around the airport.

It’s expected that the new terminal will have the capacity to handle one million passengers per annum. The expansion project is part of the multi-modal transportation system being developed by the government to enhance tourism in the Ashanti Region.

Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, is the busiest domestic destination and it is served by both PassionAir and Africa World Airlines (AWA).

Ghana Airports Company Limited data show that for 2022 more than 800,000 people traveled by air domestically; with the Kumasi Airport receiving the second largest passenger throughput.

Tourism in Ashanti Region

The Ashanti Region is the most populous and one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, with an estimated population of 4 million.

Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, has historically been an important reference for the use of Adinkra symbols and craftsmanship. With sprawling vegetation cover, the city is an important tourist destination noted for its commerce, mining and handicrafts.

Over the past two decades, there has been rapid growth in commercial activities in the city, chiefly because of its ideal location in the middle belt of the country. After Accra, Kumasi is the second-largest city in Ghana in terms of size and population.

Traders, farmers and cattle owners from Brong Ahafo and the northern parts of Ghana bring their wares to large markets in Kumasi to sell every day.