President John Dramani Mahama has said the planned Upper East Regional airport will improve the transportation of gold from the region to Accra while making the area more attractive to investors.
Speaking during his tour of the Upper East Region on Thursday, August 13, 2026, President Mahama said mining companies currently face logistical challenges when transporting gold from the region to Accra, with some relying on bullion vans or chartered helicopters.
“They have to move their gold down to Accra. Sometimes they have to use a bullion van or charter a helicopter.
And so it will be easy for them to bring it here and fly their gold bullion to Accra,” he said.
According to the President, the airport will strengthen air connectivity and create an important platform for increased economic activity in the region.
He said improved access to air transport would also encourage investors to establish factories and other businesses in the Upper East Region by reducing the time required to travel between their operations and Accra.
“Nobody wants to drive 11 hours to come to his factory in Upper East and drive 11 hours back to Accra,” President Mahama said.
He described the proposed airport as an “important enabler of economic activity” that would help open up the Upper East Region and create greater opportunities for businesses and investors.
The project is being designed as a scalable facility with an initial capacity to handle 100,000 passengers annually.
Its terminal will also allow for future expansion as passenger numbers increase.
The Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited and Member of Parliament for Builsa North, James Agalga, said traditional authorities had donated about 4,000 acres of land for the construction of the airport.
The planned facility will include a 2.2-kilometre runway capable of accommodating domestic jet and propeller aircraft, as well as an apron designed to accommodate two aircraft.
Other components will include airfield lighting for night operations, an air traffic control tower, rescue and firefighting facilities, and a five-kilometre asphalted access road.
President Mahama said procurement processes for the project were ongoing and expressed optimism that the necessary approvals would be secured by October.
He said this would allow him to return to the region by the end of the year to cut the sod for construction.
Construction is expected to take approximately 24 months once work begins, although contractors have indicated that the project could be completed ahead of schedule.
President Mahama said the airport would ultimately become a “game changer” for the Upper East Region by improving connectivity, supporting business expansion and creating new opportunities as passenger numbers grow.
