Photos Showing How Accra International Airport in 1968 Transformed To Kotoka International Airport In 2022

• Before becoming Kotoka International Airport, Accra International Airport operated from 1956 to 1969 at the place which is currently KIA Terminal 1
• When it was first constructed in 1946, the airport served as a military aviation facility for the British Royal Air Force during World War II
• After the war, in the early 1950s, the facility was eventually turned over to civilian authorities to be used for both domestic and international flight travel

The Accra International Airport, now renamed Kotoka International Airport, has been Ghana's lone airport for international flights for decades. The facility was later transformed into a terminal building in 1956 by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the country's prime minister at the time, to accommodate more travellers and commercial aircraft.

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In honour of the late Lt. General E.K. Kotoka, the Accra International Airport was renamed Kotoka International Airport in 1969. Since then, the airport has undergone considerable infrastructural and facility renovations to keep up with the growing demand.

When the project was finished, Ghana Airways was ready to use the airport as its home base in 1958. A maximum of 500,000 passengers per year were allowed for the airport's initial planning and commissioning.

How The Airport Looks Today

As photos of the airport's appearance in the 1960s pop up online, many netizens gush over how the facility has drastically transformed into what we now know it to be. Today, the Kotoka International Airport attends to millions of passengers, with a record high of 3 million in 2019.

The airport underwent massive reconstruction in June 2018 when Terminal 3 was constructed and opened to traffic after three months. At peak periods, Terminal 3 can handle 1,250 passengers.

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The terminal also features a sizable retail and commercial space, three business lounges, six fixed links, and seven extensible air bridges. Also, more than 700 cars can fit in the available parking spots.

When Terminal 3 was opened, many applauded how ultramodern it looked. Kotoka was awarded the most beautiful airport in West Africa because of the Terminal 3 development.

Meet The 22-Year-Old Ghanaian Architect Who Has Designed a Beautiful Railway Station For Accra

In an earlier story, YEN.com.gh wrote about how a young Ghanaian designed a beautiful railway station for Accra. A young Ghanaian architect in Poland named Stephen Kwadwo Kyei-Frimpong Owusu-Gyakari has presented architectural drawings for a train station in Accra, Ghana.

Many online commenters have responded to the stunning images of his architectural creations that Kalyjay posted on Twitter. Stephen disclosed that he had relocated to Qatar with his family. He spent eight years after graduating from high school before moving to Poland to get a degree in architectural design.

Source: YEN.com.gh