| Takoradi Airport | |
| Nativename: | Takoradi Air Base |
| Iata: | TKD |
| Icao: | DGTK |
| Type: | Military |
| Owner: | Ghana Air Force |
| Operator: | Ghana Air Force |
| Location: | Takoradi, Western Region |
| Elevation-F: | 22 |
| Elevation-M: | 6.7056 |
| Coordinates: | 4.8958°N -1.7747°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Ghana |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Ghana |
| Pushpin Label: | TKD |
| Metric-Rwy: | y |
| R1-Number: | 03/21 |
| R1-Length-M: | 1,751 |
| R1-Length-F: | 5,745 |
| R1-Surface: | Asphalt |
| Footnotes: | Source: DAFIF[1] Runway 21 has a 200m (700feet) displaced threshold.[2] |
Takoradi Airport is an airport in Sekondi-Takoradi, a city and capital of Western Region southern Ghana. It is the fourth busiest airport in Ghana, with 123,930 passengers in 2022.[3] [4]
During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Air Transport Command Trans-Africa Ferry Route, was a major transportation link between the Atlantic Ocean port of Lagos in Nigeria, and the Sudan. This was one of the main routes for Lend-Lease aircraft sent to Russia, and other supplies sent to British forces in Egypt and the Middle East. The route had been pioneered in 1936 by Imperial Airways, but was dramatically expanded during the war.[5]
Takoradi Airport was a major refueling stop between Robertsfield, the airport the U.S. built to serve Liberia's capital Monrovia, and Apapa Airport, Nigeria. Takoradi Airport was used as a Royal Air Force station known as "RAF Takoradi", where crated aircraft, that had been shipped over the Atlantic, were assembled prior to being flown to operational areas in North Africa. 26 Squadron SAAF was also based in Takoradi during World War II flying Vickers Wellington bombers on anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols over the Atlantic. A number of South African Air Force airmen are buried in the Takoradi European Public cemetery adjoining the Airport.
Scheduled air services from Takoradi Airport are provided by :
Takoradi Airport serves as the primary shore base for helicopter transfer to offshore oil platforms in Ghana's Jubilee Oil Field.[6]
Ghana Air Force's 1 Squadron operating Harbin Z-9H and Flight Training School (FTS) operating Diamond DA-42 are based out of Takoradi Air Base.[7]