Regardless of all circumstances, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will commission Sunyani Airport to commence domestic flights this year, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport has announced.
The Minister said that the first phase of the rehabilitation and expansion of the airport was practically completed, with the President also inaugurating the second phase of the project.
Mr Asiamah announced this while inspecting the progress of works on the facility in Sunyani on Tuesday.
He was accompanied by Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East and some senior officials of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Mr Asiamah said he had been very impressed so far, especially on the runway, and praised the contractor for a job well done.
He expressed concern over the level of encroachment on the airport land and said discussions were ongoing between GACL, GACC, traditional authorities and encroachers to help resolve the situation.
Mr Asiamah warned developers, individuals and all potential land buyers to be vigilant and not encroach on the remaining land at the airport.
Mrs. Justina Owusu-Banahene, Regional Minister Bono explained that the commissioning of the facility will open up the region and spur rapid socio-economic growth and development.
She said it was always hectic for people in the region to travel long hours to Accra and expressed hope that the people would support the facility to improve domestic air transport.
The regional minister said she was optimistic that the facility would be commissioned for commercial flight operations in the next two weeks and said Passion and other domestic airlines were ready to start operations at Sunyani.
She stressed that the Bono region has huge economic prospects, saying the air operations will open up the regional capital, boost economic activities and spur rapid socio-economic growth and development.
Sunyani Airport was originally built as an airstrip and later upgraded to an airport in 1969. It currently has a total runway length of about 1,520.
In 2015, GACL and GCAA closed the airport as a precautionary measure to avoid any disaster.
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