Accra Kotoka Airport

I think arrangements have changed since some of the earlier reviews. Go straight to your check-in desk on arrival or you could try the check-in machines if you have hand luggage only. From check-in go upstairs to immigration; you need to complete a disembarkation card which is just before the immigration queue. After queuing there you queue again to go through security. This can take some time. Once through if travelling business etc. there are two executive lounges the first one seems to get really crowded last time I went people were standing in there. If your airline or lounge card allows you to I would carry on toward gate 1 and use the lounge there which seems more roomy comfortable and generally more tranquil.

I have been through Kotoka International Airport more times than I care to remember and the attached domestic terminal a couple of times. Against most other African airports I have passed through (around 30) it is at the top end and there is an evident desire to improve. The airport is relatively small has only two gates for international departures and there are an ever increasing list of carriers adding Accra to their routes. Departure is not usually too bad security keeps the majority who may bother travellers at bay. Many first time passengers do not realise the need to go to the extreme right end of the airport for a customs check before going to their check in queue. This can result in additional queuing for the uninitiated as there is no signage. There are well in excess of 20 counters so whilst it can be crowded in the evening as others mention it is not unmanageable. Passengers must go upstairs for immigration and here is the best eating place in the airport - the only problem is that is security are doing their job they may not allow your friends to come and eat with you. In this case there are a few outside eating options within a short walk of the departure area of which Airport Landing is probably the best for a full meal. Once through immigration the shopping options are limited and overpriced but there are places for drinks snacks or even small time gambling. Business passengers will according to their carrier be assigned to one of two lounges - whilst neither is spectacular the lounge used in the main by Skyteam partners is my preference. It has a view of the runway and usually some kind of food as well the usual drinks. This lounge is close to the departure gates for intercontinental flights but there are times when African flights including Kenyan are from the gate located at the other end of the airport. The other lounge is used by BA Emirates and also Star Alliance partners (South African Lufthansa and United and apparently soon to be Turkish). This has minimal food no natural light but is nicely decorated and probably has the better drinks selection. The main x-ray security is before you go to your gate and you then sit in an often poorly air conditioned room awaiting boarding - it is rare for boarding to start when they first announce that it is. These areas often have passengers from multiple flights at one time and there is some small risk of boarding the wrong plane in the chaos that can ensure. It is not the best end to the departure experience but with the limited space and an expanding range of carriers it is hard to overcome this and as others state staff are for the most part friendly and polite. On arrival immigration is normally not more than 10 or 15 minutes bags can be quick or slow like most places (though I find very slow for late night flights) and you must then go downstairs where you are likely to have your baggage tag checked to confirm you have picked up the correct item(s) of luggage. Beyond this point it can be a little chaotic - people will almost certainly offer you a taxi and try to carry your bag then put pressure on you for a tip. If you do not want any of these services it is best to smile and say so - personally I would always favour trying to arrange a reliable pick up at any unfamiliar airport and in Accra most hotels can arrange for this. The domestic terminal is fairly spartan but perfectly adequate.

No one tried to grab my bag or to bundle past me no one even offered to carry my bag for money. Not sure if this issue of being hassled is still an issue anymore? People were friendly (as I found throughout Ghana). There are lots and lots and lots of checks - I think 8 in total including immigration - just accept it and allow time. Air conditioned throughout. The restaurants are on the Ghana side of immigration - it does all the Ghanaian dishes food was OK a bit expensive but fine. Also there is a place that does burgers fries sandwiches etc. Food on the other side is limited so if you are hungry and want more than a sandwich eat the Ghana side of immigration. All European planes leave about 9pm hence there are a lot of people going through about 7pm. KLM say they close their check-in desk 2 hours before flight leaves - don't know if this is true as I didn't test it! I took the advice of the airline and checked in before 7pm and then waited in the middle waiting area - after immigration but before final set of security checks - which has small restaurant duty free shops (with very expensive local goods and booze etc) before proceeding to the boarding area which is cramped and smelly. Note when you have gone through immigration but before you get to your boarding gate if you are flying to Europe you have to go through another security scannerso ensure any water you buy after immigration is sealed in a bag. You also have to go through another 3 passport checks so be prepared!

Arrivals into Kotoka are not bad. You clear immigration pretty quickly and they have a traditional baggage carousel where the bags come out. Lots of people hassle you for money once you get outside the airport but that is to be expected. Departures are another story. They say to arrive 2 to 3 hours ahead of your flight and that is no joke. It takes forever to go through all of the boarding pass and passport checks. There are too many to count. In addition there is only one x-ray security scanner at each of the two gates and so if you have two large planes leaving from the same gate as was the case for me you have some 600 people filing through the one security scanner area. It was complete mayhem as people who are late for their flights or who don't feel like standing in line just push right to the front of the line and no-one stops them. Once you are at the gate area there are no shops and only one very dirty restroom for 600 people. All passengers for all flights are crammed into the same gate area. I advise that you stay in the middle area of the airport where the shops are as long as possible before proceeding to the gate areas at eather end of the terminal. If you are offered a pass to the lounges Adinkra is in that middle area near the duty free shop and Akwaaba is at gate 1 just before the scanner. You will have to go around the long line waiting at the security scanner at gate 1 and you will see the lounge hidden in the back wall.

This airport improves slowly but steadily yet seems never being able to cross the 3 star barrier even for the class of airports in a developing countries. Until one gets to the airplane one has to pass a record number of checks and controls: At the entrance to the departure hall there is a control point where people are refused who don't have a ticket. If you are White you will not be checked here. Before you can join the queue to the check-in you must show a passport and a paper which could be your ticket. Before you really enter the queue to the check-in they check your passport and ticket. Then you can proceed to the check- in. In my case I had to wait half an hour before the counter because the system was not working. In due course the staff filled out the forms by hand. Then you go upstairs to the passport control. Before you enter this room there is another check point where you show passport and boarding card. Security check. Real passport and visa control and stamping. General check point before going to the boarding gate hall operated by airport officials. Specific check point just at the entrance of the boarding gate hall operated by airline officials. 1Check-point before leaving the gate hall. Check-point before entering the transfer bus. Maybe there are more checks which I have forgotten. Astonishingly there is no control when entering the airplane. The halls especially the boarding gate still do not have a pleasant air-conditioning. In spite of the ventilators it is too warm and humid. Also too loud.

Kotoka International Airport has improved over the years but a lot more work has to be done I must say. They need to get the RIGHT people to work for them and not have money scavaging people who will try and get into your pockets for all you have by trying to help you. You will think they are being nice but at the end they want you to cough up. Some of the staff there are quite rude and I can't understand why they won't allow people who aren't travelling [those accompanying travellers] to come into the airport. Most staff have no manners and take no notice of you they push you from one corner to the next and do not sympathise which really hacks me off. I should be proud of my country but I am not happy at all they really need to fix up in everything they do. I do not like the way customs open up your bag and search manually by taking things out and expect you to put it back in which is ridiculous its time they got with technology.

This time my departure was not as usual in the late night when most flights to Europe go but in the late afternoon. This avoided being among the masses of passengers for different flights in the gate hall. What confused me this time were the passport controls which where labeled with IMMIGRATION apparently due to reorganisation. Control points: 1. Before check-in. 2. Check-in 3. Before passport control 4. Passport control. 5. Before entering gate. 6. Before entering airplane.

The airport has improved overtime but there is still a lot more work to be done. Baggage claim is such a hassle. Airport is still riddled with wrong people who want money for themselves. We can do much better than this.

The airport continues to improve. By no means are the services where they could (should) be but they are better than before. As more and more business travel moves through Accra the law of supply and demand should help improve the quality and efficiency of the airport. The baggage claim is woefully lacking. Food is marginally adequate. Need to get rid of people outside of airport trying to "help" you.

The number of controls has decreased from former 8 to 6. After the entry I should have shown my ticket although flying ticketless. I explained them that now most flights are ticketless hence the control unnecessary. At check-in I got a boarding card indicating that I should go to the gate (an uncomfortable place) at 21h30 although the flight was to be at 23h30. At 22h30 I was able to hear an announcement telling to go to the gate 2 (the visual information system did not work). There was a long queu already waiting so I went back to the hall. The next message heard was that another flight announced for gate 2 was redirected to gate 1. So a flock of people walked away and I went to the gate once more without having to wait for the entry control. I was asked for the ticket and the same dialogue began as before. They said I could not fly unless I would show a ticket. In order to show what they meant they order another passenger to show 'a ticket'. It was a flight confirmation on a shabby piece of fax paper. I had left the confirmation in the checked-in baggage but due to a lucky incident I found a preliminary confirmation in my handbag which was accepted. At departure time passengers were still coming in with up to 3 handbags and gigantic suit cases and the flight took with 1 hour of delay. Apparently they had been accepted although too late. Pack every valuable into your handbag if you don't have a hard suit case.