Ghana is planning new airstrips in regions without airports, presenting the initiative as public investment in infrastructure for emergency air travel and urgent medical evacuations. Western North, which has no operational commercial airport, is expected to be among the beneficiaries.
A regional infrastructure commitment
President John Dramani Mahama announced the plan during a courtesy call by chiefs from the Western North Region. He said regions without existing airports would receive airstrips, while regions that already have airports would not require the additional facilities. The stated purpose is to create landing sites for aircraft when emergencies arise, including situations requiring medical evacuation. The announcement therefore describes a network of basic aviation infrastructure intended to extend emergency access beyond places already served by commercial airports. It also signals a public investment approach based on regional coverage: eligibility depends on whether a region already has an airport, rather than on a single named project or commercial route.
What each facility is expected to include
The proposed airstrips would measure approximately two kilometres in length and would include small control offices to support aircraft operations. The control office is presented as part of the operating arrangement, allowing aircraft to land in a region during an emergency. The source does not give a construction timetable, budget, site list or technical specifications beyond the approximate length and the inclusion of the office. Western North is specifically identified as a beneficiary because it currently has no operational commercial airport. The description distinguishes these facilities from full airports: the announcement focuses on landing strips and limited operational support, rather than a broader airport development.
The procurement stage has not yet been set out
For procurement purposes, the announcement is a policy commitment rather than a tender notice. It identifies the public need, the regions that may qualify and two core elements of the proposed works: an approximately two-kilometre strip and a small control office. It does not state whether construction would be divided into regional contracts, delivered through one programme, or accompanied by separate contracts for design, construction and operations. Nor does it name a budget, contracting authority, procurement method, timetable or award process. Those details would determine how businesses could compete and how officials could compare offers. At this stage, the transferable point is that infrastructure announcements establish an intended outcome, while the competitive procurement mechanism still has to be specified.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announcement date | 18 October 2026 |
| Announced by | President John Dramani Mahama |
| Purpose | Emergency air travel and urgent medical evacuations |
| Proposed length | Approximately two kilometres |
| Additional facility | Small control offices |
| Named beneficiary | Western North |
| Current position in Western North | No operational commercial airport |
We are going to provide an airstrip in every region that does not already have an airport.
WHY IT MATTERS
The plan links public infrastructure investment to emergency access in regions without airports. For suppliers, the announcement indicates a possible future market for civil works and aviation support facilities, but it does not yet establish how projects will be packaged or competed.
Reported from myjoyonline.com, 2026-10-18. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
