For years, arriving in Accra meant a crowded hall, slow queues and a scramble for luggage. In 2018, international passengers began arriving somewhere very different.
Terminal 3 at Kotoka International Airport opened to passengers on 15 September 2018, and President Nana Akufo-Addo formally inaugurated it on 2 October that year. It was designed to handle about five million passengers a year, far more than the older terminals could manage, with room to grow to about 6.5 million.
Why it was built
Air traffic through Accra grew steadily in the 2000s and 2010s. More airlines flew in from Europe, the Middle East, the United States and across Africa. The older international terminal was overcrowded, with limited seating, few gates and long queues at immigration.
Work on the new terminal started under John Mahama’s government and was completed under Nana Akufo-Addo, who commissioned it.
What changed
The building has five levels and can process about 1,250 passengers an hour at peak times. Terminal 3 brought six boarding bridges, so passengers could walk straight from the aircraft into the building. It added more check-in counters, larger departure lounges, a bigger immigration hall and more space for shops and restaurants.
It was built to handle large aircraft, and its design allows for more airlines and routes than the old terminal could take.
The older terminals
Once international flights moved to Terminal 3, the older terminals were given other roles, including domestic flights within Ghana.
Ambitions as a hub
Ghana has long wanted Accra to become a regional aviation hub for West Africa, competing with Lagos, Abidjan and Dakar. A modern terminal was part of that plan, along with attracting airlines and building up a national carrier.
Complaints remain
Passengers still complain about some things: traffic on the roads around the airport, parking costs, the time taken for luggage at busy hours, and the cost of flights in and out of Accra, which are often higher than in some neighbouring countries because of taxes and charges.
Arriving now
For visitors in December, when Accra fills with diaspora travellers, Terminal 3 is the first impression of the city. The building was designed for five million passengers a year; on a busy night in Detty December, the queues at immigration suggest Accra will need more room sooner than expected.
