Government has secured a 600-acre land and identified source of funding for the Cape Coast Airport.

The aviation Minister and officials of the Ghana Airport Company on Thursday inspected the 600-acre land situated at Ankaful for the construction of the project.

The NPP during its manifesto launch in Cape Coast promised to build an Airport and a harbour for the people.

The news brought a cocktail of reactions from residents. While some intimated it was an election gimmick, others were of the considered view it was the beginning of the rise of cape Coast.

But the Sector Minister, Kofi Adda on Thursday explained a lot of work has been done ever since the promise was made by government and the NPP administration was keen at fulfilling it.

“Right after the President and the Vice President’s promise of building an Airport and a Harbour in Cape Coast, I had to send a team to investigate the potential area for the Airport. We got back to Accra and sent another team to do the feasibility studies,” he explained.

The 600-acre land, according to the MCE for Cape Coast, Ernest Arthur, is a government land that makes it easy for the preparations to be done prior to the actualization of the project.

Mr. Adda indicates the feasibility studies have been completed and they are confident there’s a potential for the establishment of an airport.

Their visit to inspect the site of the project, he says is ample testimony that the promise is not a mere fluke but something the NPP is keen at doing to open up Cape Coast for businesses and tourism.

“We have now completed the feasibility studies. We are sure that there’s potential for a viable Airport here and we have also been able to identify the source of funding that we can use for that. And so, with these two, we are happy that if we do get the approval from the Ministry of Finance, cabinet and Parliament, Cape Coast will have an Airport,” he assured.

The Aviation Minister further explained to had to come to meet the Paramount Chief and the divisional chiefs to let them know that their call for the president to give them an airport was being heeded to and that they have done the work in the ministry.

“I have come with the agency heads from the Airport Company, civil aviation authority as well to let them know that we are working on building an airport for the Cape Coast Municipality,” he stated.

At the project site at Ankaful, the minister was satisfied that the piece of land that belongs to government even makes the work easier and government will swing into action to develop land upon approval

“Building an airport takes a bit of time. Soil testing has to be done to know how deep they go and to know how the drainage and sewage system could be handled. For you, the residents of Cape Coast when we conclude the financial arrangement, signed the contracts, don’t think tomorrow there would be an airport, no, there has to be a design work and basic ground works before the construction starts”, he concluded.

Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North and the Parliamentary candidate of the NPP in the Cape Coast North, Barbara Asher Ayisi was hopeful the realization of the project would be a dream come true for the people in Cape Coast.

The Mayor of Cape Coast, Ernest Arthur, indicated the NPP administration has the people of Cape Coast at heart and they would do everything to ensure that the city develops.

The development of the Airport, the Aviation Minister tells Joynews’ Richard Kwadwo Nyarko,  will start with a domestic airport after which further expansion would be done when the need arises.