Cargo and freight charges at Banjul International Airport

Who handles cargo at the airport

GIA says it handles freight and mail, import and export documents, special cargo and warehouse storage, with cold storage for perishables (provider page) ¹.

GIA says its cargo complex is RA3 certified and that this permits exports to EU destinations, the UK and the rest of the world. It lists twin cold rooms, a forklift, a dual-view X-ray scanner and secure storage for valuable cargo ¹. It names Royal Air Maroc, Binter Canaria, Turkish Airlines, Air France and TAP Air Portugal as partner airlines ¹.

A WFP Logistics Cluster assessment with figures dated 2011 named GIA and Redcoat as the two cargo handling agents ². This site found no current source on whether Redcoat still works there.

Last published handling and storage rates

The only published cargo tariff this site found is in the WFP assessment. It says its prices were correct as of 1 November 2011. It says its navigation charges table was taken from an older assessment ². Status: historical.

The assessment's rate for Redcoat cargo above 100 kg appears garbled, so this site leaves it out ². GIA's cargo page in 2026 lists Ebrima Kujabi, acting senior cargo manager, on +220 9905400 for enquiries (provider page) ¹.

Charges the aircraft operator pays

The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) schedule of airport charges, posted in January 2024, has no cargo or freight line. It lists charges on aircraft by weight and time on the ground ³. The schedule is undated and gives no legal reference ³.

• Landing fee per tonne or part of a tonne: £3.00 up to 24.99 tonnes, £4.00 from 25 to 74.99 tonnes, £6.00 from 75 to 100 tonnes and £7.00 above 100 tonnes ³.
• Aircraft parking: the first six hours after landing are free, then 60 pence per tonne for each 24 hours. The schedule elsewhere shows 60 pence per tonne per hour, which does not match ³.
• Temporal air service charge: $250 for short haul (regional) and $625 for long haul. The schedule writes the dollar sign without a country code ³.
• The schedule has lighting fees, but its table is hard to read ³.

Customs clearance of air cargo

The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) says air cargo is stored in the bonded area until customs clearance is complete. The airline sends the importer an arrival notice, and the importer declares the goods to customs ⁴.

The declaration goes on the Single Administrative Document with the invoice, air waybill, packing list, any licences and certificates required by law, and a Tax Identification Number ⁴. Customs may order an inspection and approves the import once duties are paid. The importer shows the paid declaration at the bonded area ⁴.

The brochure gives no duty rates and no processing fees. A customs broker licensed by the GRA may file the declaration for the importer ⁴.

The cargo complex and freight volumes

The foundation stone of the airport cargo complex was laid in July 2013. The Point reported a cost of US$3,115,400, with US$2,494,200 from the Enhanced Integrated Framework and US$621,200 from the government ⁷. The facility was inaugurated on 19 February 2018, and Vice-President Fatoumata Tambajang spoke at the launch. The framework said it was expected to cut handling times by up to 50 percent ⁶.

A National Assembly joint committee, reviewing a motion tabled in September 2019, visited the cargo complex. It recommended that GIEPA, the trade and transport ministries and GIA work together to make effective use of the facility ¹⁰.

The Gambia Bureau of Statistics report dated June 2026 gives these totals from GCAA data. Unloaded freight rose 14.9 percent in 2025 and loaded freight fell 4.4 percent ⁵. Earlier editions give different figures for some years.

Loss, damage and delay of cargo

The Gambia acceded to the Montreal Convention of 1999 on 10 March 2004 ¹¹. Under the convention, a complaint about damage to cargo must be made in writing within 14 days of receipt. A complaint about delay must be made within 21 days of the cargo being made available ⁹. A claim for damages is lost if no court action is brought within two years ⁹.

ICAO says the carrier's limit for destruction, loss, damage or delay of cargo is 26 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per kilogram from 28 December 2024. The original limit was 17 SDR ⁸.