Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has been selected as the best international airport in West Africa and the fourth best in the world.
Kotoka moved from 6th best in the world last year to the 4th best this year according to statistics by the Airport Council International (ACI) Africa.
Speaking at the 28th ACI Conference in Accra, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo praised the aviation ministry for their policies which have made a major impact in the growth of the country’s aviation sector.
He also attributed the achievement to stakeholders’ commitment to adhere to high airport service quality and standards at the Kotoka International Airport.
The ACI annual conference was aimed at providing the aviation community on the continent with the opportunity to share and disseminate vital industry information to strengthen the air transport industry.
The conference, on the theme, ‘Smart airports of the future; are we ready?’ attracted more than 300 participants from across the continent to share ideas and exhibit products and services.
In his speech, Nana Addo mentioned that his government has undertaken and is still undertaking several projects in the aviation sector which will continue to boost the country’s aviation industry.
Projects which include new passenger terminals at the Kumasi and Tamale airports are all under way while the Sunyani airport is undergoing rehabilitation.
Nana Addo boasted that his government had scrapped the 17.5 per cent VAT on domestic air fares which has caused an increase in domestic flights over the year.
“We have liberalised the regulatory framework with which the industry used to operate. We have abolished the 17.5 per cent VAT on domestic air fares and this has resulted to almost a double of the domestic air passenger traffic,” he said.
On international flights, he said:
“Currently 38 airlines are operating in Ghana and they connect directly to 30 different destinations around the world.”
The president also ensured Ghanaians in his speech that his government would continue to develop more airports across the country to serve as feeder airports to the KIA.
The Minister of Aviation, Kofi Adda, in an address, pledged to work towards achieving the goal of making Ghana the aviation hub in Africa.
