President John Dramani Mahama says the planned Upper East Airport will serve as a major catalyst for economic growth, improved connectivity and investment in the region.
The President made the remarks when he inspected the proposed airport site in the Upper East Region, where he expressed appreciation to traditional rulers for donating land for the project.
He said the facility would be developed beyond an aviation hub, with plans to create a city around the airport to generate additional economic activity.
“The project is not going to consist only of an airport. We want to develop a city around the airport so that the facility can generate added value and stimulate economic activity,” President Mahama said.
According to him, improved air connectivity will allow residents, businesses and investors in the region to travel more quickly to Accra and other parts of the country.
He noted that residents currently travel about 160 kilometres to Tamale to access flights to Accra, before making the same journey back after returning from the capital.
“That will soon be a thing of the past. People will be able to fly directly from here to Accra without having to drive to Tamale,” he said.
President Mahama said the project is expected to open up the Upper East Region to greater business opportunities and stimulate wider commercial activity.
The President said the airport would therefore provide an important boost to economic activity by reducing travel time and making the region more accessible to businesses and investors.
He explained that investors seeking to establish industries in the region would benefit from the facility because they would be able to travel conveniently to their businesses and return to Accra without spending several hours on the road.
“Nobody wants to drive 11 hours to come to a factory in the Upper East Region and then spend another 11 hours driving back to Accra,” he said.
President Mahama also pointed to the potential benefits of the airport to the region’s mining sector, particularly gold-producing businesses.
He said gold mining companies operating in the region currently face logistical challenges in transporting gold to Accra, sometimes relying on bullion vans or chartered helicopters.
“With the airport here, it will be easier for them to bring the gold to the airport and fly the gold bullion directly to Accra,” he said.
The President expressed confidence that the airport would contribute to making the Upper East Region more attractive to investors and help accelerate economic development.
“I therefore believe that this airport will be a game changer for the region,” he said.
The project is expected to be completed within 24 months, although President Mahama said the contractors had indicated that they could complete the work ahead of the contractual deadline.
He said he had been following the procurement process closely and wanted the process to move quickly to enable construction to commence.
“We hope that by the end of the year, we will return here to cut the sod for the construction of the airport,” he said.
President Mahama disclosed that the Upper East Airport forms part of a broader government effort to expand domestic air connectivity, with new airports also being pursued for Wa and Sunyani.
He said the Upper East Airport had been designed with the capacity to expand as passenger numbers increase.
The initial facility is expected to handle about 100,000 passengers, but the President expressed optimism that demand would grow significantly once the airport becomes operational.
“Perhaps within a year, two years or three years, passenger numbers could exceed 100,000, and when that happens, we will begin expanding the airport to accommodate even more passengers,” he said.
President Mahama urged residents of the Upper East Region to patronise the facility when completed, saying increased passenger numbers would support its expansion and long-term sustainability.
He also expressed appreciation to the traditional rulers for making the land available for the project and assured the people of the region that government would work to ensure the project was delivered.
“Very soon, you will see the contractors on site working seriously to bring this project to fruition,” he said.
The President said the airport, once completed, would form part of efforts to open up Ghana by improving mobility, strengthening economic linkages and making it easier for businesses to operate across the country.