Kotoka International Airport is Ghana’s main international airport
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has announced the government’s plans to change the name of Kotoka International Airport.
He stated that a bill will soon be laid before Parliament by the Minister of Transport to rename the country’s main international airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport.
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Ayariga made the announcement while addressing journalists ahead of the first sitting of the Second Session of the 9th Parliament on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
“We are changing the name of our airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. A bill will be brought by the Minister for Transport to facilitate this change. The Accra International Airport bill will also come,” he said.
He emphasised that such decisions must be grounded in law and guided by the will of the people.
The proposed renaming comes amid years of public debate and growing calls for change. Critics argue that the current name honors Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a coup leader who played a key role in the overthrow of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Notable among those advocating for the change is Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, daughter of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who has consistently suggested that Ghana’s international airport should revert to its original name, Accra International Airport.
Historically, the airport began as a military facility used by the British Royal Air Force during World War II and was later handed over to civilian authorities.
In 1956, under former President Kwame Nkrumah, a development project was launched to transform the facility into a terminal building.
The project was completed in 1958, converting the former military base into a civilian airport with the capacity to handle about 500,000 passengers annually. It was initially named Accra International Airport.
Notable figures who have called for the renaming of Kotoka International Airport
However, in 1969, the airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in honor of Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (1926-1967), a member of the National Liberation Council who was killed during an abortive coup attempt at a site that is now the forecourt of the airport.
MAG/MA
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com