President John Mahama has announced that work will soon begin on the construction of a new airport for Wa, the Upper West Regional capital, following Parliament’s approval of the Airport Infrastructure Levy Bill.

The President said the levy, which applies to domestic and international flights, as well as African and ECOWAS regional air travel, will be channelled into a dedicated fund to upgrade and expand airport infrastructure nationwide.

Speaking at the launch of the SheaPark Resource Hub Project in Wa, Mr Mahama explained that the fund would provide a sustainable financing mechanism for aviation development nationwide.

“Now that money is going to go into a fund, and that fund is going to be used to develop the airports around the country,” he said.

He disclosed that the Upper West Region is among the initiative's immediate beneficiaries, with plans to build a new airport in Wa.

“I’m pleased to announce to you that Wa is going to be a beneficiary of this fund with the construction of a new airport, not the old airport,” the President stated.

Mr Mahama noted that the existing airport site presents serious limitations and is no longer suitable for modern aviation requirements or future expansion, making the construction of a new facility both necessary and timely.