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Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has reopened for commercial and international passenger flights, five months after it closed its doors to the world as part of traffic restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic. -19) in the country. .
Chartered flights, including KLM, Tap Portugal and Titan Airways from London, Amsterdam and Lisbon, began arriving at 2:15 p.m. yesterday.
The voices of the airport announcers were heard on the public address system of Terminal Three, welcoming passengers to the country, while at the same time reminding them of the COVID-19 protocols that they had to comply with.
Those who arrived yesterday were made up of evacuees facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, diplomats, Ghanaians willing to return home, as well as foreigners who had business to do in the country.
Unlike previous arrangements, all passengers are now required to take mandatory exams at the airport after arriving in the country.
However, the Daily Graphic team stationed at the airport observed that travelers who arrived on the opening date went through different arrangements. While some of them passed without undergoing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test because they had certificates to activate the exemption from the tests, another category was picked up by the Operation COVID Security buses parked at the airport, in means of security escort, to begin with. your mandatory 14-day quarantine.
The second category of passengers who went through the new regime left the Arrivals Hall one after another in a staggered process with their luggage after going through the mandatory tests.
Data available
Data obtained from Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) indicated that some 200 passengers from the three arriving chartered flights were tested with the new PCR machines installed at the airport.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Aviation and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) were at the airport to observe the processes.
Also present were some members of the GACL Board of Directors, headed by its President, Ms. Oboshie Sai Cofie.
Confirmation
When he visited the airport to observe the process first-hand, the Minister of State of the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Henry Quartey, confirmed the two facts, explaining that the passengers who had arrived under the previous regime had been helped to start their journey . 14-day mandatory quarantine, while those in the new agreement had also gone through mandatory tests.
“I would be surprised if any passenger says they did not go through the testing process. But we have classified the passengers into three groups: Ghanaians stranded outside, those outside doing business with the government, and those with their own private businesses outside.” He explained.
Mr. Quartey added that some of the passengers had been assisted in undergoing their mandatory 14-day quarantine and the rest had gone through the testing process.
He said current arrangements had been reached at the airport after a series of consultations between all interested parties.
“Today the airport has reopened. It is the first day and so if there is any challenge, when we access the data and information from the technical team, we will address all the challenges,” he added.
Mixed reactions
Passengers, meanwhile, expressed mixed reactions to the $ 150 (GH ¢ 865) cost of the COVID-19 test at the airport.
A passenger from the United States, Naana Sefa, said the new facilities at the airport to curb the spread of the virus were impressive but too expensive.
“Comparing them to the US system, where it takes three days before the test results are ready, I think it is an impressive advance and a step in the right direction for Ghana,” he said.
A passenger and student from Germany, Ernest Kume, said his test result was ready in 24 minutes, although he had to join a long queue for about two hours before taking his turn when he arrived.
He said the test conducted in Germany took three days, and for that reason the Ghana test was quick.
“The problem I have with this is that the same test that was done in Ghana had already been done in Germany and the result was the same. Doing the same test twice was something that pissed me off. The test done in Germany cost € 120 and in Ghana it costs $ 150, and this is a double payment for a student like me, ”he said.
Another passenger who had been out of the country since February due to COVID-19 restrictions, Mr. Yang Inn, said he was not really concerned about the cost and said that getting back was the most important thing right now.
Although he is Chinese, Mr. Yang said that he was a resident of Ghana and was helped back by the Ghanaian Embassy in Spain.
Slow business
A walk through Terminal Three, KIA’s center of attraction, indicated that most businesses were still closed, despite the reopening of the facilities.
Although some car rental companies, banks and restaurants were opened, most of the shops in the salon were closed during the time of the visit.
Some of the attendees of the few stores that opened said that while the airport’s reopening was good news, sponsorship was very low.
Airline operators
The Country Manager of Asky Airlines, a regional airline operator, Mr. Worlanyo Afadzinu, welcomed the reopening of the KIA for commercial flights and said that “Accra is one of our largest markets in Africa.”
He said the Lomé airport, which is the airline’s base, opened early last month, but
“We will begin scheduled flights from Accra on Friday.”
He said the airline had already posted flight schedules to the system and all of its retail outlets could now have access to the schedules for ticketing and other purposes.
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