Yaw Afful inspects work on the Sunyani Airport
Director General of Ghana Airport Company, Yaw Kwakwa, has blamed the rains for the delay in completing rehabilitation and expansion works on the Sunyani Airport in the Bono Region, but has assured that it will be ready by the end of December, 2020.
He explained that weather factors captured in the planning design failed due to erratic rainfall patterns for the year, thus delayed the work schedule and subsequent opening to traffic originally schedule for September.
Mr. Kwakwa made the statement when he conducted Deputy Minister for Aviation, Yaw Afful, and NPP Regional Chairman for Bono, Kwame Baffoe, aka Abronye DC, and other technical staff around the airport to inspect ongoing works.
He said the project was about 95% completed, adding “it is left with finishing touches on the runway.”
Mr. Kwakwa said work on the terminal building, including arrival/departure hall, waiting area, security check point and check-in facilities, have been completed and what was left with the terminal building was the installation of CCT cameras as part of the expansion.
Work on the apron (aircraft waiting area) has also been completed and has explained that the apron can hold only two aircraft at the same time.
He also explained that the Sunyani airport, when completed, could not take all types of aircraft.
He said the runway, which used to be 1,282m, has now been increased to about 1,500m.
He said the contractor, Resource Access Limited, was left with a layer of bitumen on the run way to get the required thickness of 100mm thickness.
The Ghana Airport Manager says they expect an increase in domestic flight and volume of passengers due to viable economic activities in the three regions of Ahafo, Bono and Bono East regions, and assured the airport would be ready for reopening at the end of December.
The Deputy Aviation Minister, who is also the MP for Jaman South, expressed satisfaction on the progress of work and on behalf of the B/A parliamentary caucus and chiefs and thanked President Akufo-Addo for fulfilling his promise of expanding the airport.
Abronye DC said since the airport was constructed in the 1960s, it was only during the reign of the NPP that it had seen any facelift.
FROM Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani