The Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra, Ghana, is to see significant modernisation with the injection of US$ 1.1 million by the U n ited States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), PANA reports.

The money will finance three projects to upgrade the capacity of the airport and help the West African country regain its Category 1 status under the Internatio n al Safety Assessments (IASA).

The US Embassy identified the projects as the refurbishment of the passenger ter minal at the airport, support for the development of a new Air Traffic Control C e ntre (ATC) and modernization of the Meteorological Services Department (MSD).

"Improvements to KIA will (increase) the chances that Ghana will achieve IASA Ca tegory 1 status, which will increase the country's ability to trade with the US b y allowing direct service to the US by Ghanaian carriers," a press release from t he embassy said.

Under the first project, USTFA will grant US$ 650,000 to fund a feasibility stud y and design to refurbish the passenger terminal in partnership with the Ghana A i rports Company Ltd (GACL) which will contribute US$ 17,250 to the technical assi s tance.

The funding will provide architectural and engineering services to improve passe nger flow, renovate all aspects of the arrivals area and add a new ticketing bui l ding, concourses and departure gates.

Ghana has experienced strong growth in air passenger traffic over the past 10 ye ars with international passenger traffic at the airport growing at double digit r ates since 2004, outstripping capacity.

The press statement noted that KIA handled more than one million international p assengers in 2007.

It said KIA's refurbishment would offer opportunities of US$ 25 million in the f orm of airport consulting, engineering and design services as well as equipment f or baggage handling, security, electronics, boarding bridges, communications and

building services.

Total capital requirements for the project are estimated at US$47, it added..

The second project is a grant for US$ 295,000 to fund a feasibility study to sup port the development of a new Air Traffic Control Centre (ATC) at KIA.

The press statement said a new ATC, with an improved location and increased capa city to handle projected air traffic levels for the next 15 years, would allow f o r safe handling of Ghana's air space, using the latest traffic control technolog i es.

Annual aircraft movements have almost doubled since 2002 and Ghana has an extens ive Flight Information Region (FIR), including the upper air space for its easte r n neighbours, Benin and Togo.

The expansion of the MSD project is a grant of US$ 235,000 to fund a feasibility study to modernize the Department.

It is to improve the accuracy and availability of weather information with a cen tral Weather Forecast Office (WFO), equipment for all airports in Ghana, an auto m ated meteorology database and the means to communicate pertinent weather informa t ion to aviation, agricultural, energy producing, industrial and water resource u s ers.

The feasibility study would assist MSD in their efforts to improve the accuracy and availability of weather information in Ghana.

MSD plans to establish a central WFO, equip all airports in Ghana with Automated Weather Stations or radar surveillance.