Today, Monday, July 31, 2023, marks the official opening of the newly built terminal building at the Tamale International Airport, which can accommodate 400,000 people yearly.
This comes after months of test runs and the weekend's successful start of the migration to the new terminal building. By doing so, the new terminal facility will serve as the base for all flights to and from the Tamale International Airport.
The recently finished terminal building includes, among other things, a VIP lounge, two boarding gates, four self-service check-in kiosks, eight check-in desks, airline offices, commercial retail spaces, a multi-purpose terminal to facilitate Hajj travel, and a 5km road network.
The second phase of the Tamale Airport development project includes these facilities, which are estimated to cost US$70 million. It was paid for by a British export financing arrangement.
The Tamale International Airport's viability depends on a number of factors, including the ability to draw regional and international airlines, acceptance of proposals by the airport's operator, Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), and an increase in the current airport passenger service charge of GHC 5.
Presently, the Northern Regional Capital is served daily with multiple frequencies by two major domestic carriers, Africa World Airlines (AWA) and PassionAir, during the day. There are no specific ideas on the table, despite inquiries from foreign airlines about running direct flights to and from Tamale International Airport.
Flying out of Kotoka International Airport in Accra, the Tamale Airport is currently the third busiest domestic airport in the nation.
A domestic passenger's GHC 5 fee for using the on-ground aviation infrastructure in 2022 brought in slightly about GHC 4.3 million cedis.
The money, which equates to slightly less than GHC 360,000 each month, is still insufficient for the upkeep of the domestic terminal at Kotoka International Airport in Accra as well as the airports in Kumasi, Sunyani, Wa, Ho, and Tamale.
Electricity and water supply, upkeep of lighting equipment, air conditioning, janitorial services, waste disposal, maintenance of the terminal building, and other overhead costs are typically the major expense categories for an existing regional airport like the Tamale Airport. These expenses total close to a million cedis per month.
Domestic operations are subsidized by Terminal 3 APSC due to the insufficient inflow from domestic airports. The Ministry of Transport, which is in charge of overseeing matters, is handling the proposal for a rise in the domestic APSC. US$70m The terminal building of Tamale International Airport is now fully functioning.
