Kotoka International Airport adjudged Best African Airport of the Year

The Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has won the 2011 Best African Airport of the Year Award at the Routes Africa 2011 Conference in Bamako, Mali.

The coveted award was presented to the Managing Director of KIA, Mrs Doreen Owusu-Fianko in Bamako on July 5, when KIA emerged the winner following a competitive screening process by a panel of global airport experts.

The final shortlist included, alongside the winning airport, Entebbe Airport in Uganda, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, and Sikuphe International Airport in Swaziland.

A citation preceding the presentation of the award commended the KIA for distinguishing itself in service delivery, development of new routes and attracting four major airlines from the United States and Europe to Ghana in 2011 alone.

A press release issued by the GACL in Accra on Monday said Routes in the citation also described “the astute leadership exhibited by the management of GACL , the KIA’s adherence to global best practices in safety and security as well as continuous improvements in handling facilities and development of its human capital as ‘unmatched by any other airport in Africa’”.

Mrs Owusu-Fianko, receiving the award, said it was the KIA’s vision to be the hub and gateway for the West Africa sub-region in spite of being a small airport, adding that the airport had always prided itself in being customer friendly and was happy to have welcomed three different US Presidents to the airport.

She said in line with the agenda of “making Ghana the gateway to Africa”, management of GACL had plans to attract more global airlines to Ghana.

“We want to develop as a hub and our geographical location means we are positioned to be able to offer links to every continent in the world.”

Mrs Owusu-Fianko noted that the company was working to establish links with South Africa and the Caribbean in the next two years since they were the only missing network links.

She revealed that they would soon have regular links to Barcelona with Spanair and Doha with Qatar Airways after TAP Portugal’s recent inauguration of flights to Lisbon.

She also paid glowing tribute to the Board, Management and Staff of GACL, saying their teamwork and combined tireless efforts in delivering excellence had earned them the global recognition.

“We feel so proud to win this prestigious award,” Mrs Owusu-Fianko stated.

KIA would now go forward with other winners from the regional Routes events to compete for the overall Airport Marketing Award title which would be announced at the World Routes event in Berlin, Germany, in October.

The awards are the highest industry honours of excellence conferred on airports that have distinguished themselves in infrastructure development, adoption of modern airport technology, adherence to safety and security standards, new routes and human capital development as well as good service delivery.

The KIA works on the core principles that the people who are best placed to judge an airport’s marketing activities are its primary users: the airlines.

The primary criteria after nomination include submission of details about their route development activities and results, which would then be considered and scored based on certain parameters, including innovative ways of marketing to airlines, evidence of relationship with airlines, effectiveness and creative application.

Source: GNA

6 Comments
  1. kessyJay says

    I am very sorry, but is unacceptable. Kotoka Airport is not a beutiful or best airport. There has been some improvements, but has to be done. We should not be accepting low standards. Have you seen Schiphol in Amsterdam, Dubai and many of the new Asiaian airports. We have to best them and not hold on to these old stuff we have,

  2. TT says

    It’s difficult to clean your glasses if you still sitting in old 50’s building.
    Please build a new Airport instead of patching up this old dinasous.
    This is old building and it will not be used by any country who does have Gold for the last over 100years

  3. Kwame E. Bidi says

    This award is worth celebrating, however, I must admit that the way workers at the airport literary beg for money is not cool at all. I’ve had two experiences where workers in suit and tie begged aggressively for my last dollar. I thought it quite unprofessional.

  4. Edmund Smith-Asante says

    Yes, the KIA deserves to be the best in Africa. Anyone who travels especially to the West Coast of Africa will agree Kotoka has come a long way. We however need to step up our game and gun for the best airport in the World. We need a better and bigger airport to take any size of aircraft and weed out miscreants who literally and virtually beg travellers for money and gifts. That certainly is unprofessionally. Hei! But kudos to all who made the award possible – you can fly above the skies.

  5. Bandana says

    MMMMMMMMMMMM Ghana we are so lucky, Thank God

  6. Tashana says

    @kessyjay i think if you took your time to read the article carefully you’ll notice it was an award for best airport in Africa not in the world. So i advice you to read carefully before making any dumb comments. thanks. And by the way we should be happy our airport is still 50+ years and standing. And those of you suggesting bigger airports how big do you think Ghana is? You all have to Criticize everything huh? and for the begging why dont you write a complaint

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