KIA needs a make-over
I sat next to this man who was on his very first trip to Ghana last July. It was a business trip. He had obviously been briefed about Ghana and had done a lot of research on the country and its people.
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This guy even tried to utter some words in Twi as our conversation went on. Then out of the blue, he asked me one question which triggered a sudden thought which left me wondering what he had been told during the briefings he received. It is always a tricky one revealing too much to someone you meet for the first time; so I am always on my guard when it comes to that.
This businessman asked for the meaning of the name given to Ghana’s international airport. Meaning? “Kotoka is the name of an Army General who was killed in an abortive coup at a location at the airport” was my quick response to him. He wanted to know more but the conversation was truncated at that point owing to a distraction from a crew member. That was not an interesting topic to discuss anyway so the break was a welcome one.
Six months later, I have been reflecting on the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and wondering why we have been slow in bringing it at par with true international status as found in some middle to high income countries around the world. Ghana is a land of unfettered possibilities and our major gateway must fit that image at all costs – 2014 is the makeover time.
The picture already looks good for Ghana to transform its international airport. As published in “The Marketer”, the flagship magazine of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), Ghana is named as one of the world’s top five emerging markets. Others include Brazil, Indonesia, India and China. Ghana is also said to be one of the world’s top 10 fastest growing economies. Ghana’s political stability puts her ahead of its peers while global interest increases by the day. How can we not lurch onto this favourable position to enhance our country’s image as far as our international airport is concerned?
Currently, there are over 20 airlines flying in and out of KIA. British Airways alone is doing 10 times a week schedule to Accra, including three morning flights which were abandoned by Virgin in September last year. British Airways has indeed, recently announced that it is going to deploy a bigger four deck Boeing 747 that will carry up to 235 passengers on the Accra route. Doesn’t one cry for our own national airline when one thinks of the opportunities others are busy harvesting.
KLM and Lufthansa have also been loyal on our route. Also from Europe, Turkish Airlines and Air Portugal are said to be doing brisk business in Ghana. Indeed, statistics show that the KIA is the seventh busiest airport in Africa. In 2012, over 1.7 million passengers were said to have passed through our airport, nearly nine per cent above the 2011 figure of almost 1.6 million.
All these positive signs notwithstanding, KIA seems to lack some shine. It does not carry the spirit and deed of an international airport as seen elsewhere. We need to triple our steps and that should commence with a change of name for the airport. Why? Because the history behind the current name is not the type today’s progressive Ghana would want to project as part of its success story.
If we must use the name “Kotoka”, then how about naming the welcome area of the airport as such? I believe that area is part of the forecourt which history tells us the Lieutenant- General was killed in the abortive coup. We also have the various car parks and roads within the airport so how about naming one after the late Army General, while we embark on a national search for an appropriate name for KIA?
The re-naming aside, covered gangways are the norm for true international airports. Why is passenger access to aircrafts to date not facilitated by covered gangways at KIA instead of the use of shuttle buses?
The problem of water leakage is unbecoming of an international airport. Leakages from air conditioners and roofs and collected into standing buckets are embarrassing for KIA. Just a few weeks back, the media reported of yet another embarrassing water leakage at KIA. An airport that is busy 24 hours should have faults-monitoring system in place, plus leakages can be a cause of accidents due to slippery floors.
Efficiency and overcrowding at the baggage arrivals is another thing that needs fixing in 2014. There seems to be some laxities with security at our airport as non-travellers still find their way into the baggage claim area, sometimes blocking access for arriving passengers to claim their baggage from the carousel. This does not happen at international airports. For those evenings when three or more aircraft arrive within minutes after each other, waiting for one’s luggage can take hours on end with slow manual loading onto the carousel.
2014 should hold prospects for a real transformation of our airport to true international standards. First impressions do last forever. The battle to win a true international airport status to meet a growing global image is 2014.