Ghana Airports Company Ltd says it has already commenced repayment of loans secured for the $250 million Terminal 3 project at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).

The project is a capital investment project by the Ghana Airports Company limited to enhance infrastructure at the international airport in the country.

Speaking to JoyBusiness on a tour of the new terminal which is currently at 91 percent completion, the Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Ltd, John Attafuah indicated that the first tranche of payments had already been made.

“There are two tranches to the loan, there’s the commercial tranche of about $194 million and there’s the one coming from the Africa Development Bank, South Africa’s Development Bank of South Africa and Ghana’s own Infrastructure Development Fund; and for the commercial tranche we have already started paying,” Mr Attefuah indicated.

The $250 million Terminal 3 project forms part of a 400-million-dollar project by the Ghana Airports Company Limited which includes renovations to other regional airports.

The project partly funded by the African Development Bank is to ease pressure on the existing two terminals once completed.

The new terminal is expected to handle up to five million passengers a year, with an expansion potential of up to 6.5 million passengers.

At peak hour, the terminal will have the capacity to process up to about 1,250 passengers. A fully automated baggage handling system will also handle 3,500 bags an hour.

Project details

Designed for international traffic, the new terminal comprises five levels spread across an area of 48,268m². The terminal will feature six contact stands for Code E aircraft and two additional remote stands.

The new terminal will have the capacity to process 1,250 passengers a peak hour, a large retail and commercial area, three business lounges, six fixed links and seven air bridges expandable to eight, and parking space with the capacity to handle more than 700 cars.

The departure level of the terminal will feature 56 check-in desks, 30 passport control counters, of which four will be e-gate positions, and eight security lanes. 

The arrival level will house 24 immigration counters, four e-gate positions expandable to eight, and four reclaim devices.

A fully automated baggage handling system designed in accordance with the latest European Civil Aviation Conference Hold Baggage Screening (ECAC HBS) requirements will also be provided to handle 3,000 bags an hour