The government has announced plans to rename Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Ghana’s premier international gateway, back to Accra International Airport.
Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, made the disclosure during a press briefing on Tuesday, February 3, 2026,ahead of the resumption of the Ninth Parliament.
According to him, the Minister for Transport will soon lay a bill before Parliament to effect the name change.
“We are changing the name of our airport from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. So a bill will be brought by the Minister for Transport for the name to be changed from Kotoka International Airport to Accra International Airport. So the Accra International Airport bill will also come,” Mahama Ayariga stated.
The proposed renaming comes 58 years after the airport was named in honour of Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, a prominent figure in the 1966 coup d’état that overthrew Ghana’s first republican government.
Public debate on the issue resurfaced last year, with renewed calls from civil society groups, commentators, and sections of the public urging a change.
Advocates for the renaming argue that naming the country’s main aviation hub after a key participant in a military coup does not align with Ghana’s current democratic values, constitutional order, and emphasis on unity and good governance.
During the briefing the Majority Leader described as unfair to the people of Accra, the decision to name the Airport after General Kotoka.
According to him, the decision to change the name has nothing to do with the personality of General Kotoka but to give reverence to the owners of Accra.
They maintain that national infrastructure and monuments should primarily honour leaders and figures associated with democracy, independence, and national development.
Kotoka International Airport remains Ghana’s busiest and most important air transport facility, serving millions of passengers annually as the principal entry and exit point for international travel to and from the country.
The name change, if approved by Parliament, would require updates to official records, aviation documentation, signage, and international agreements.