Kotoka International Airport (KIA) served 3.2 million passengers in 2024, underscoring Ghana’s growing status as a regional hub for travel, investment, and tourism.

This figure reflects a significant increase in air traffic, driven by improved macroeconomic conditions, renewed international interest, and rising business activity.

However, this growth has raised concerns about border security.

Francis Bullen Gavor, Chief Executive Officer of Rock Africa and Coordinator of the API/PNR project, noted that the rise in passenger volumes includes not only tourists and investors but also individuals flagged for illicit activities.

These may include drug traffickers, financial crime suspects, and persons on international watch lists.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Air Navigation System Complex and the new API/PNR Operations Centre on Monday, August 4, 2025, Gavor emphasised that existing security systems are increasingly strained.

He pointed out that border control officers are expected to confront modern threats using outdated tools.

“Last year, 3.2 million passengers passed through Kotoka International Airport. Among them were investors, tourists, and Ghanaians returning home. We would like to think that these are all legitimate businessmen or tourists, but amongst them, we had drug carriers, money mules, people whose names appear on the international watch list.

"As dedicated as our officers are, they cannot stop every trip simply because they are being asked to fight today’s crimes with yesterday’s tools. This is the reality we must confront. And in the wake of the Mid-Year Budget, which confirmed that Ghana’s economic recovery is gaining momentum, we should expect international confidence, and passenger volumes into Kotoka, to rise,” he said.

“That is why the ability of our border control agencies to identify persons of concern before they arrive, transit, or depart is not just helpful, it is essential to protecting our national security,” he added.

The new Air Navigation Services (ANS) facility will serve as the main operational hub for delivering critical air navigation services, ensuring the safe, orderly, and efficient movement of aircraft in controlled airspace and at airports.

This advanced infrastructure will offer a comprehensive suite of aviation services, including Air Traffic Services (ATS), Air Traffic Management (ATM), Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS), Aeronautical Information Services/Management (AIS/AIM), and Meteorological Services for Air Navigation (MET).

These systems will operate within a synchronised framework to manage air traffic flow, prevent collisions, maintain safe separation, and enhance operational efficiency.

The facility will also support air-to-ground and ground-to-air communications, monitor aircraft movements, and facilitate the distribution of critical aeronautical data, such as NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), flight plans, aeronautical charts, and meteorological updates, all essential for effective flight planning and in-flight decision-making.

The ANS building will house the Multi-Agency Command Centre (MACC), a national collaborative operations center that brings together key security stakeholders.

It will also host the Passenger Information Unit (PIU), responsible for implementing and managing the Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems.

The functions of ANS will cover airspace management, flight procedure design, search and rescue operations, and the enforcement of ICAO-compliant global aviation standards, further reinforcing Ghana’s commitment to international best practices in air navigation.

NR/MA

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