President Mahama to cut sod for flagship airport project | By Dominick Andoh
President John Dramani Mahama is to break ground for the start of construction of a new multi-tiered, multi-purpose car park and airport hotels complex today, Thursday, August 27, 2026.
The project is part of a broader effort to upgrade facilities at the Accra International Airport as Ghana positions itself as a hub in West Africa and seeks to regain its US FAA Category 1 status.
The flagship airport project, which is part of the pool of projects being financed using proceeds from the Aviation Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC) which came into effect in April 2026, will have a seven-storey car park, two hotels – a 250-room budget hotel and a 120-room luxury hotel to cater to transit passengers, including those on long layovers or disrupted flights, while also supporting Ghana’s growing role as a connecting hub.
It will also include a pedestrian connector to the terminal, 2000+ Carpark bays, a shopping mall with a food court, retail spaces, office spaces for rental, and a sky lounge for entertainment.
For aviation aficionados, the project will have a sky observatory for the public to experience aircraft landings and take-offs in proximity.
The integrated approach, combining infrastructure, hospitality, and retail, signals a deliberate shift toward capturing high-value transit traffic, a key driver of airport competitiveness globally.
The August 27 ceremony will move the car park project from planning and preparatory work into its formal construction phase, giving renewed momentum to government plans to modernise Ghana’s main international gateway.
FAA Category 1 on the cards
Ghana lost its Federal Aviation Administration Category 1 status years ago and is keen to reclaim it and have the Accra International Airport re-certified as a Category 1 airport by the US FAA.
The re-certification of the Accra International Airport as a Category 1 airport will allow Ghana-registered airlines to operate flights to and from the United States.
The improvement in aviation security with the deployment of 3D scanners at the Accra International Airport, refurbishment of Terminal 2, new connecting concourse, the new T3 Car park and enhanced facilities and security, and the consistent attainment of very high ICAO
aviation safety and security score over the last half decade, and the impending re-establishment of a new national airline, puts Ghana on the right track to regain its FAA Cat 1 status.
Relocation of T3 Car Park
The Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), effective Monday, 20 July 2026, relocated the Terminal 3 Car Park to allow the contractor to take over the site for the construction of the new seven-storey multi-purpose car park and airport hotel complex
GACL announced the relocation in a public notice issued on 16 July 2026, explaining that the existing Terminal 3 parking area will close to airport users and stakeholders during the construction period.
To maintain parking services, GACL has completed the Terminal 3 Car Park Annex, which can accommodate more than 600 vehicles. The new facility will serve passengers, visitors and other airport users throughout the transition period.
Funding for new aviation projects
The AIDC came into effect in April as part of a government plan to mobilise about US$800 million over 10 years for airport infrastructure upgrades.
International passengers pay US$50 per trip, with lower rates applying to ECOWAS and other African routes.
The levy is intended to support projects including the planned airside connecting concourse between Terminals 2 and 3, the new multi-purpose car park and hotel at Terminal 3, repurposing of Terminal 2 at Accra International Airport, redevelopment of Sunyani Airport, and other airport developments in Kumasi Airport.
The Ministry of Transport, working through the Ghana Airport Company Limited, has arranged advance financing for these projects.
