The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) is planning to relocate all regional airlines from Terminal 3 (T3) to Terminal 2 (T2) at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) as part of efforts to ease congestion at T3 and revitalize T2.
The airlines affected by this move include Air Cote D’Ivoire, ASKY Airlines, Ibom Air, Air Peace, and Africa World Airlines (AWA).
The proposed relocation is set to take effect on December 1, 2024.
However, some of the affected airlines have raised concerns about the short notice and emphasized the need to ensure that T2 facilities meet the highest standards, especially given that their passengers pay a significant Airport Passenger Service Charge.
For instance, passengers flying round-trip between Accra and Lagos on airlines such as AWA, ASKY, Air Cote D’Ivoire, or Air Peace currently pay GHC 948 for airport services.
Although discussions between GACL and the airlines have been productive, the airlines have requested a “detailed operational plan” before any decisions are finalized.
Terminal 2, once the primary terminal for international flights before October 8, 2018, is now underutilized and mainly handles domestic operations.
The relocation of regional airlines aims to optimize the use of T2, which sees relatively low traffic despite a steady growth in domestic passengers.
In 2023, domestic operators, including Africa World Airlines and PassionAir, transported 17,786 passengers to destinations like Kumasi, Tamale, Wa, Sunyani, and Takoradi via T2.
Domestic flights at KIA were moved from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in October 2018, following the opening of the newly constructed Terminal 3 for international operations.
