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A technical team from the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) has visited Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital, to inspect the proposed site for the construction of the Bolgatanga Airport.
Accompanied by the Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, th team visited the proposed site for the construction of the airport
They assessed the readiness of the site and reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering the project.
The community had released over 7,000 acres of land in Sumbrungu for the project in the 1970s, but delays have left the site unused, displacing farmers and destroying livelihoods.
This latest visit was on the back of a remark by President John Dramani Mahama on the construction of the airport during his recent Thank-you tour to thank the chiefs and people of the region for their overwhelming support, which culminated in his emphatic victory during the 2024 elections.
Speaking at the Thank you durbar, President Mahama said the Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) had been tasked to source funds for the construction of the Bolgatanga Airport to enable people to fly directly into the region.
He stated that the airport would not only boost tourism and trade but also facilitate the safe airlifting of gold bullion to Accra.
“We intend to do this under a Public-Private partnership module in conjunction with the large-scale gold mining companies operating in the region as this will allow them to easily airlift their gold to Accra,” he stated.
Faster means, importance
Conducting the team around the land, Mr Atanga said the discovery of gold deposits in the region would attract many mining firms into the area and that there was a need for the airport to be constructed as such companies would need faster means to transport their gold to Accra.
“As a result, there is the need to quicken the construction of the airport to enhance the operations of the mining companies and the general economic development of the region.
“The project will be lucrative as the region is also the gateway to Burkina Faso and Togo,” the minister stated.
Mr Atanga added that the greater number of passengers who use the Tamale airport were mostly people from the region and nationals from the two neighbouring countries and, therefore, called on stakeholders to play their respective roles towards the realisation of the project.
Additionally, he mentioned that due to security issues in some parts of the region, the airport would aid in the easy movement of security personnel into trouble spots easily to douse any security threat.
As a starting point, the GACL technical team impressed upon the Regional Coordinating Council to ensure the expansion of the runway from 1,400 metres to at least 2,000 meters to meet the acceptable stand and to pave the way for other works to commence.
