Kenya Airways ponders direct flights to Kumasi Airport

Nairobi-based Kenya Airways is considering operating some direct flights to the new Kumasi International Airport in Ghana as part of efforts to deepen bilateral trade and tourism between the two friendly countries.

According to OEC data, Ghana exported $5.46M to Kenya in 2022. The main products exported from Ghana to Kenya were Coconut Oil ($2.44M), Cocoa Powder ($1.66M), and Other live plants, cuttings and slips; mushroom spawn ($595k).

Kenya, on the other hand, exported $9.53M to Ghana in 2022. The main products exported from Kenya to Ghana were coconut and Other Vegetable Fibers ($5.08M), Tea ($1.24M), and aluminium plating ($580k).

On the tourism front, there is a growing two-way flow of tourists, bouyed by a long-standing visa waiver agreement and attractions in both countries.

Mr. Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenya Airways, told Aviation Ghana during a media engagement in Accra that the airline its sights set on Kumasi.

“We are looking at this marketplace favourably, so in the first place, it [operating flights to Kumasi Airport] is something to consider,” he said.

The Kumasi International Airport, located at the heart of Ghana’s second most populated city, Kumasi, has undergone a total makeover within the past half-decade.

The new ultra-modern terminal building, which is capable of handling over 800,000 passengers per year, has modern passenger processing installations in place and is equipped with navigation aids. Jet A1 (aviation fuel) is also available at the facility.

Mr. Kilavuka said that flying to Kumasi looks viable and would be favourably considered by KQ management.

“We just need to go back and work out on how, not if, we can operate some frequencies [ to Kumasi Airport]. What we have seen from the back of envelope analysis demonstrates the commercial viability [of servicing the Kumasi International Airport],” he said.

The Kumasi International Airport has a runway length of 1,994m capable of supporting the operations on A319s, A320s, and Boeing 737s.

A further runway lengthening is planned to extend the existing one to 2,300m plus to enable it to accommodate other large body aircraft.