Fees and charges
Airport development fee and other departure charges at Banjul
Short answer
- Airport development fee
- €20 per departing passenger 1
- Passenger service charge
- £10 per departing passenger 1
- Security charge on GCAA list
- £1.50 per departing passenger 1
- Airport Security Fee at kiosk
- US$20 on departure 2
- Announced in January 2023
- £15 service charge and US$5 safety levy from 1 May 3
- Regional safety charge
- US$1 per international departure, phased from 1 January 2026 4
The three charges on the GCAA schedule
The GCAA airport charges schedule for Banjul International Airport names three passenger charges. Each one applies to every departing passenger 1.
What the schedule does not say
The schedule was posted on the GCAA website in January 2024. It gives no start date, no legal reference, no exemptions and no method of collection 1.
This site could not find an official source stating how these three charges reach the GCAA. In February 2023 the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that a government task force had noted the many charges already carried on air tickets 5. Passengers who want to know what was built into their fare can ask the airline or travel agent for a breakdown of taxes and charges.
How these differ from the US$20 security fee
The £1.50 security charge on the GCAA list is not the same as the US$20 Airport Security Fee. The US$20 fee is paid in person at marked kiosks on arrival and on departure 2.
The US$20 fee is collected by Securiport staff in cash at the terminal under a government contract, according to the NAO 5. The government said in January 2026 that it was working to add it to ticket prices 6.
Announced changes and their status
On 27 January 2023 The Point reported a GCAA announcement of new rates from 1 May. The passenger service charge was to rise from £10 to £15. A new Passenger Safety Levy of US$5 per departing passenger was to pay The Gambia's contribution to the Banjul Accord Group Safety Oversight Organisation (BAGASOO). The GCAA said the levy was meant to support aviation safety 3.
The GCAA schedule posted in January 2024 does not show the £15 rate or the US$5 levy 1. Status: announced in January 2023, not confirmed as live.
In May 2025 the Banjul Accord Group agreed a US$1 passenger safety charge on international commercial departing flights in its seven member states, including The Gambia. Gradual rollout was due from 1 January 2026, with full enforcement expected by 2030. Once it is fully in place, the annual contributions member states pay to regional aviation bodies are to be phased out 4. Status: agreed regionally, with no Gambian start notice found.
The 15 percent sales tax on tickets
The NAO report said a government task force had recommended replacing the 15 percent sales tax on air tickets with the new security fee. The Office of the President approved the security contract without adopting that recommendation 5.
Common questions
How much is the airport development fee in The Gambia?
The GCAA lists it as €20 for each departing passenger 1.
Do I pay the development fee at the airport?
The GCAA schedule does not say how it is collected 1. The only charge the UK government tells travellers to pay at a kiosk is the US$20 Airport Security Fee 2.
Did the passenger service charge go up to £15?
The GCAA announced £15 from 1 May in January 2023 3. Its schedule posted in January 2024 still shows £10 1.
What is the BAG passenger safety charge?
A US$1 charge on international departures agreed by the Banjul Accord Group in May 2025, phased in from 1 January 2026 4.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@gambiaairportguide.com.
Sources
- Gambia Civil Aviation Authority: Airport charges, Banjul International Airport (undated schedule, file posted January 2024)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: The Gambia travel advice, entry requirements (updated 7 July 2026)
- The Point, as reported by Ali Jaw: GCAA to increase flight passenger charges (27 January 2023)
- BusinessDay, as reported by Favour Okpale: Banjul Accord Group adopts US$1 passenger levy to fund aviation safety (22 May 2025)
- The Point, as reported by Adama Tine: NAO demands review of Securiport project by govt (10 February 2023)
- The Point, as reported by Jankey Ceesay: Info minister claims booming tourism amid airport security levy (headline paraphrased) (15 January 2026)
Related
- Passenger charges at Banjul International Airport
The US$20 Airport Security Fee paid at kiosks, and the passenger service, security and development charges listed by the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority.
- The Banjul airport security fee
How the US$20 Airport Security Fee at Banjul works, how to pay it, who runs it, how the money is split and what the National Audit Office found.
- Banjul airport charges inside and outside the air fare
Which Banjul airport charges sit in your ticket and which you pay at the airport, the plan to move the US$20 security fee into fares, and ECOWAS tax cuts.
- Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
The GCAA regulates aviation and runs Banjul International Airport. Its legal basis, directorates, passenger charges, and what audits and Parliament said.
- Departing from Banjul International Airport
Leaving The Gambia by air: the US$20 departure security fee, GCAA departure charges, screening, onward health papers and overstaying your entry stamp.