The Gambia’s transport ministry has invited bids by 27 June for the expansion of Banjul International airport, located in Yundum, about 24km to the southeast of Banjul, the capital city.

The scope of work includes the construction of a new terminal and ancillary facilities as the authorities look to address a significant increase in air transport demand, which has led to the congestion of both the aircraft apron and the passenger terminal building. There is also the need to rehabilitate infrastructure such as the runway.

The new infrastructure is aimed at not only meeting international safety and security standards but also improving operational efficiency and maintaining the airport’s standing compared with its regional counterparts.

The project is to be implemented under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, namely the design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer model, with the transport ministry as the contracting authority. The tender can be viewed here.

The Banjul airport is the country’s only airport and began operations in 1997. It features a single 3.6km runway, a terminal with a handling capacity of 1 million passengers a year, a control tower and an international freight centre measuring about 550 square metres.

The Gambia’s national transport policy for 2018-27 targets positioning the airport as a transport hub for the West African region in the medium term and as a major gateway for the region in the long term.  

The government is also looking to transform the airport from a traditional airport to a fully-fledged airport city (aerotropolis) using unused land on the landside. The aim is to encourage private sector participation in the development of real estate and supporting facilities and services, such as hotels, conference centres and car parks.

Photo: Banjul airport (Source: Facebook @ Gambia Civil Aviation Authority)