President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to construct airstrips in every region of Ghana that currently lacks an airport, a move aimed at strengthening emergency air travel and medical evacuation capabilities in underserved areas.
Speaking during a courtesy call by chiefs from the Western North Region, President Mahama identified Western North as one of the key beneficiaries of the initiative, noting that the region currently has no operational commercial airport .
The proposed facilities will measure approximately two kilometres in length and include a small control office to support aircraft operations during emergencies .
Addressing a Critical Infrastructure Gap
The announcement underscores a longstanding infrastructure gap in Ghana’s aviation and emergency medical response systems. According to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, the country’s existing airports are concentrated in a handful of regions—including Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani, Wa, and Yendi—leaving several newly created regions without any aviation infrastructure .
Western North, carved out of the Western Region in 2019, has a population of nearly one million people and relies primarily on agriculture and mining . The region’s healthcare infrastructure is limited, with the Sefwi Wiawso Government Hospital serving as the designated regional hospital. The Ghana Health Service has noted that the region’s nine National Ambulance Service vehicles are used for out-referrals, primarily to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, underscoring the logistical challenges of emergency medical transport .
“We are going to provide an airstrip in every region that does not already have an airport,” President Mahama said. “Sometimes there are emergencies, and sometimes medical evacuations are necessary. At the moment, some regions do not have landing sites for aircraft” .
He added that regions with existing airports would not require the additional facilities, but those without would receive landing strips equipped for emergency landings .
Broader Context of Emergency Medical Aviation
The President’s announcement comes amid broader efforts to improve Ghana’s emergency medical aviation capabilities. In early 2026, businessman Ibrahim Mahama donated a private jet for conversion into a national air ambulance, a development that was widely viewed as a significant private-sector contribution to addressing gaps in emergency medical transportation .
However, the effectiveness of air ambulance services depends on the availability of landing infrastructure across the country. The proposed airstrips would provide the necessary ground facilities to complement airborne medical evacuation efforts, particularly in regions like Western North where road access to tertiary care facilities can be time-consuming.
The initiative also aligns with Ghana’s National Transport Policy, which envisions each region operating airport facilities of a certain category, though implementation has lagged in several areas .
Next Steps
While the President did not provide a timeline or cost estimate for the construction of the airstrips, the announcement signals a commitment to extending basic aviation infrastructure to regions that have historically been excluded from such development. For Western North, the proposed airstrip would represent the region’s first aviation facility, potentially reducing the time required to transport critically ill patients to advanced medical centres.
The Western North Regional Coordinating Council has not yet released further details on potential sites for the airstrip or the anticipated timeline for construction.
