$80m Spent On Airport Project

The Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Capt. Joe Boachie has said $80 million has been spent on the Phase II of the Kotoka International Airport rehabilitation project.

Speaking to the media at a cocktail in Accra, last Friday, he said $40 million of the amount was borrowed from the donor agencies while the GCAA bore the rest of the amount.

He said the conditionalities attached to the loan were flexible to enable the GCAA to go in for more loans when necessary. He said the GCAA is to construct aero bridges and rescue and fire facilities among others soon.

Capt. Joe Boachie said the Phase II project includes the extension of the runway from 2987 imeters to 3413 meters. Another surveillance radar which was recently installed has enhanced security and is the only one in Africa.

He said 95% of the airport project has been completed and final works would be done by 2004.

Capt. Boachie said Ghana's air space, which includes Togo, Benin, and a large oceanic airspace to latitude 9? south of the Equator along the boarders of Angola is safe.

He told the ADM in an interview that the domestic airports in the country would soon be upgraded. He said the GCAA has registered some domestic airlines and they would soon start operations.

The GCAA manages all airports in the country and helps the National Communications Authority (NCA) in allocating frequencies. Media practitioners from both state owned and private media attended the cocktail.