Prempeh I International Airport

Kumasi International Airport – officially Prempeh I International Airport (KMS) since its 2024 renaming and elevation to international status – is the main airport of the Ashanti Region and the second-busiest airport in Ghana after Accra Kotoka (ACC). Located in the city of Kumasi at 942 ft (287 m) elevation, it serves the historic capital of the Ashanti Kingdom and a regional economy built on gold, cocoa and timber. A multi-phase upgrade completed in the mid-2020s lengthened the asphalt runway to 7,874 ft (2,400 m) and delivered a modern two-storey terminal with international-capable customs and immigration facilities, funded through a partnership between the Ghana Airports Company and development lenders. The airport is named for Otumfuo Nana Agyeman Prempeh I, the Asantehene who led resistance against British colonial forces and was exiled to the Seychelles. Scheduled services are dominated by domestic Africa World Airlines, Passion Air and Akwaaba Air flights to Accra (ACC) and Tamale (TML), with new international links to Lagos (LOS), Ouagadougou (OUA) and Abidjan (ABJ) phased in as part of the international upgrade. On West African airport rankings KMS ranks among the region's top secondary-city airports by combination of runway length and scheduled jet service, and its elevation to international status makes it part of Ghana's strategy to distribute traffic away from Accra. Kumasi's cultural tourism – Manhyia Palace, Kejetia Market and the Ashanti heritage sites – combined with mining and cocoa supply chains gives KMS a diversified traffic base.