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

The figure reflects a surge in air traffic fueled by improving macroeconomic conditions, renewed international interest, and rising business activity.

This development, however, comes with mounting concerns over border security. According to the Chief Executive Officer of Rock Africa and Coordinator for the API/PNR project, Francis Bullen Gavor, the increase in passenger volumes includes not only tourists and investors but also individuals flagged for illicit activity.

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

Speaking at the commissioning of the Air Navigation System Complex and the new API/PNR Operations Centre on Monday, August 4, 2025, he stressed that current security systems are under increasing strain as border control officers are expected to manage modern threats using outdated tools.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 moles, 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 that the international confidence and passenger volumes into Kotoka to rise.

“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 but rather essential to protecting our national security,” he said.

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

This state-of-the-art infrastructure will support a full suite of aviation services, including Air Traffic Services (ATS), Air Traffic Management (ATM), Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS), Aeronautical Information Services / Aeronautical Information Management (AIS/AIM) and Meteorological Services for Air Navigation (MET).

These systems operate within a synchronised framework to manage the flow of air traffic, prevent collisions, maintain separation, and enhance operational efficiency. The facility will also support air-to-ground and ground-to-air communications, monitor aircraft movements, and facilitate the dissemination of critical aeronautical data such as NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), flight plans, aeronautical charts, and meteorological updates necessary for flight planning and in-flight decision-making.

The ANS building will house the Multi-Agency Command Centre (MACC) —a national collaborative operations centre comprising key security stakeholders.

In addition, the facility will host the Passenger Information Unit (PIU), responsible for the implementation and operational management of the Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) systems.

ANS functions encompass airspace management, flight procedure design, search and rescue operations (SAR), and the enforcement of ICAO-compliant global aviation standards, solidifying Ghana’s commitment to international best practices in air navigation.