Passengers travelling through the Accra International Airport will now be required to undergo luggage screening at the entrance of the Departure Hall before proceeding to check-in, the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) has announced.

The pre-screening exercise will be conducted by the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as part of enhanced security measures at the airport. Travellers will have their luggage checked using scanning machines and sniffer dogs before gaining access to the Departure Hall.

GACL has advised passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure time to allow sufficient time for the additional screening, check-in and other boarding formalities. The company said the new arrangement was intended to strengthen security while ensuring the smooth and safe movement of passengers through the airport.

It also reminded the public that access to the Departure Hall is restricted to passengers with scheduled flights. “Non-travelling persons will not be permitted entry,” the company said, urging airport users to take note of the restriction.

GACL said the enhanced screening arrangements formed part of its ongoing collaboration with security agencies to strengthen security at the airport and maintain safe, secure and efficient operations.

The latest measure follows the deployment in July of new security screening equipment at passenger checkpoints in Terminals 2 and 3 of the Accra International Airport. The upgraded systems were introduced to improve the efficiency of security checks while maintaining required aviation security standards.

Under the new screening technology, passengers do not have to remove laptops and other large electronic devices from their cabin baggage during routine screening.

They are also allowed to keep their shoes and belts on unless additional checks are required based on security profiling.

The system also features an Automatic Tray Return System, designed to speed up the return of trays after screening and reduce waiting times as passengers repack their belongings. GACL said the measures were part of efforts to improve both airport security and passenger convenience.