Updated
August 16, 2007
Gambia
Tourist
Support
- Reg Charity No 362/2003 & GETSuk No
1110998
Banjul International Airport - 2007
Your first live image of Gambia is the impressive 10 year old terminal building and control tower.
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1st 10 years
1997 to 2008
Some grandeous buildings have appeared in Gambia over the years since 1994 and one of the most impressive is certainly the new airport buildings. A wonderful sight for visitors when they arrive or depart from The Gambia.
Arch 22 in Banjul
is equally impressive and provides wonderful views over Banjul, the river
entrance and Barra on the far bank.
Micro light flights can be taken from the Airport, these are run by a guy called Willie who lives near the traffic lights at the Fajara end of Kairaba avenue.
There are now a multitiude of commercial buildings, particularly in Serekunda but the impact of modern architecture is best seen in the recent building of Mosques around the country.
I will be taking pictures of some of the most impressive over the next 12 months and provide a guide to many of them.
When visiting a Mosque you must cover your body, women should cover their heads and you are expected to remove your shoes before entering.
Comments to GTS
Sounding like a publication featured on the popular TV
comedy 'Have I got News for You' the Jul-Aug 2007, Issue 12 of "AIRPORTS
of the World", carried a 6 page, full coloured article on Gambia
and its airport written by Charles Tyler.
I hope that neither Mr Tyler nor the magazine published by Key Publishing
will object to this summary. www.Airportsworld.com
In their short list of Useful Websites on Gambia, they kindly included GTS.
Despite it's name Banjul International is actually located at Yundum 12.4 miles (20Km) from Banjul, the new terminal was officially opened in October 1997 the month before our first ever visit to the country.
Its beautifully graceful design was by the Senegalese architect Pierre Atepa, a Jola, my wife informs me, incorporating many Islamic motifs.
. 
All images from the Airports of the World Magazine Jul-Aug 2007
Tourist numbers are increasing to Gambia and the latest available figures published in the article prints that in 2005, very nearly 275 thousand tourists passed through the terminal which is capable of handling 4 times that number. I have heard it said, that the plan is to increase tourist numbers to around a million a year almost the same as the total population of Gambians, not including Gambia's diverse population from many neighbouring African states.
Note the NASA Apron - The runway is so long to accommodate landings of the Space Shuttle - if the need was ever necessary.
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