At the airport
Banjul International Airport terminal and facilities
Short answer
- Location
- Yundum, about 25 km southeast of Banjul 1
- Terminal
- One building for arrivals and departures 1
- Runway
- One runway, 3,600 m by 45 m, figures dated 2011 2
- Opening hours
- 24 hours a day, figures dated 2011 2
- Lost baggage
- Gambia International Airlines, Baggage Lost and Found, provider page 6
- New terminal
- PPP tender, bids due 27 June 2025 3
- Certification target
- End of 2028 5
The terminal building
The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) says Banjul International Airport, known as Yundum International Airport, is at Yundum, about 25 km southeast of Banjul 1.
One terminal building handles arrivals and departures. The GCAA lists check-in counters, immigration and customs, security checkpoints, duty-free shops and restaurants inside it 1.
TUI says the airport is about 20 km south of Serrekunda and that its flights use the main terminal (provider page) 8.
The GCAA website lists a VVIP airport lounge in its menu but gives no details on who may use it or what it costs 7.
Services in the terminal
| Service | Provider | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger services 6 | Gambia International Airlines for all carriers 6 | Provider page, 2026 6 |
| Baggage lost and found 6 | Gambia International Airlines ground operations 6 | Provider page, 2026 6 |
| Immigration and customs 1 | Inside the terminal 1 | GCAA page, undated 1 |
| Security checkpoints 1 | Inside the terminal 1 | GCAA page, undated 1 |
| Duty-free shops and restaurants 1 | Inside the terminal 1 | GCAA page, undated 1 |
| Taxis, car rentals and hotel shuttles 1 | Serve the terminal 1 | GCAA page, undated 1 |
Runway and airfield
A WFP Logistics Cluster assessment with figures dated 2011 describes one asphalt runway, 14/32, 3,600 m long and 45 m wide. It says the airport was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with an ILS, VOR and runway lights 2.
The same assessment said the busiest period was 1 pm to 6 pm, mostly tourist flights 2. These figures are historical. The GCAA page says only that the runway has been upgraded to take larger aircraft 1.
Screening equipment and cargo
On 29 June 2022 GCAA Director General Fansu Bojang told the National Civil Aviation Security Committee that a new hold baggage screening machine had been installed. He said screening staff were trained in threat image recognition 10.
Gambia International Airlines says its cargo complex is RA3-certified, with twin cold rooms and a dual-view Rapiscan 632DV scanner (provider page) 6.
The planned new terminal
The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure and the GCAA invited bids for a new airport terminal and related facilities at Banjul. The project is a public-private partnership to design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer the terminal 3.
The notice says growth in air transport demand has caused congestion of the aircraft apron and the passenger terminal building. It cites the need to rehabilitate the runway 3.
The GCAA tenders page dates the notice 2 May 2025 4. Bids were due on 27 June 2025, and the bidding document cost US$15,000 3. This site found no announcement of a winning bidder. Status: tendered in 2025, no award found.
Standards and certification
The national aviation safety plan for 2026 to 2028 sets a target to certify Banjul International Airport by the end of 2028 under ICAO Annex 14 5.
In a 2025 statement filed with ICAO, the transport minister said passengers are scrutinised within the shortest possible time. He said The Gambia was finalising Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems 9.
This site found no official source on wheelchair help, Wi-Fi, prayer rooms or baby facilities at the terminal. Ask your airline before you travel.
Common questions
How many terminals does Banjul airport have?
One, for both arrivals and departures, according to the GCAA 1.
Where do I report lost luggage at Banjul?
Gambia International Airlines runs Baggage Lost and Found as part of its ground operations 6.
Is there a lounge at Banjul airport?
The GCAA site lists a VVIP airport lounge but gives no details 7.
Is Banjul getting a new airport terminal?
The government invited bids in 2025 for a new terminal under a public-private partnership 3. No award has been found.
Is Banjul airport open 24 hours?
A WFP assessment with 2011 figures said it was open 24 hours a day 2.
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: Banjul International Airport (undated page)
- WFP Logistics Cluster: Logistics Capacity Assessment, Gambia Banjul International Airport (figures dated 2011)
- Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure and GCAA: Invitation to bid for the construction of a new airport terminal, MOTWI/PPP/2025/RFP/04/28 (bids due 27 June 2025)
- Gambia Civil Aviation Authority: Tenders (official page, notice dated 2 May 2025)
- Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure and GCAA: The Gambia National Aviation Safety Plan 2026 to 2028, issue 1 (November 2025)
- Gambia International Airlines: About GIA (provider page, 2026)
- Gambia Civil Aviation Authority: Home page (official page, undated)
- TUI UK: Flights to Banjul International Airport 2026 and 2027 (provider page)
- ICAO: Statement by the Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure of The Gambia, FALC 2025 meeting files (2025)
- The Point, written by Fatoumata Joof, Ministry of Interior information officer: MoI, stakeholders to address security challenges at airport (5 July 2022)
Related
- Arriving at Banjul International Airport
What happens when you land at Banjul: immigration and entry stamp, the US$20 security fee, yellow fever certificate, customs allowances and transport.
- 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.
- Security screening at Banjul International Airport
Who screens passengers and bags at Banjul airport, the rules on prohibited items, how the US$20 security fee differs from screening, and past audits.
- Money exchange and payments at Banjul International Airport
How to pay the US$20 security fee, where to change money at Banjul airport, what a licensed bureau must give you, ATMs, cards and the dalasi rate.
- Airlines and routes at Banjul International Airport
Which airlines sell flights to Banjul, which routes official and press sources name, and passenger and flight numbers from official statistics.
- The new terminal project at Banjul International Airport
The 2025 tender for a new Banjul airport terminal, what is known since, and the earlier terminal works paid for by Kuwaiti, Saudi and OPEC loans.