By President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the Nana Agyemang Prempeh I International Airport in Kumasi on Friday, May 10.
Accompanied by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Minister of Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, and other dignitaries, the President marked the occasion.
The airport, currently in the process of equipment testing for both domestic and international flights, is set to commence full operations by June this year.
With a capacity to handle over 800,000 passengers annually, mainly from the northern and middle belt regions, the airport is poised to meet the growing demand for air travel.
The management of the facility has been entrusted to the Ghana Airport Company Limited, paving the way for new opportunities for hoteliers and tourism operators in the region.
George Arkoh Mensah, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Hoteliers Association, shared his optimism, stating that the inauguration of the airport will bring about positive changes in the hospitality industry in the region.
He projected that over 50,000 individuals will be traveling to Kumasi or the Ashanti Region, with nearly 80 percent of them being accommodated by members of the Ghana Hotel Association. This influx is expected to boost productivity and income in the region.
He said, “The opening of the airport will bring economic improvements and development to the region and Ghana. It will open Kumasi and the Ashanti Region to the world, and the destination periods of most of the people who will come will be Kumasi. With that, it will improve and increase patronage in the hotel industry.
