Banjul International Airport
| Banjul International Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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  BJL | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Serves | Banjul | ||||||||||
| Location | Banjul, Gambia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 95 ft / 29 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 13°20′16.66″N 16°39′07.94″W / 13.3379611°N 16.6522056°W | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Banjul International Airport also known as Yundum International (IATA: BJL, ICAO: GBYD) is the international airport of Banjul, capital of the Gambia.
Overview
The airport has a number of amenities, including bars serving primarily snacks and drinks, as well as small shops selling local souvenirs and stalls representing local cell phone providers, all of which are before security. Airside facilities include a bar, restaurant and a number of duty-free stores selling primarily alcohol and other gifts. The head office of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority is located on the airport property.[1]
In the event of an emergency on any of the NASA Space Shuttles, Banjul International Airport had been selected as an augmented landing site. Gambia was the perfect location when the shuttle was launched with a low, 28-degree inclination[2][3] In 2001 NASA announced that Banjul airport would no longer be used as an augmented landing site because latterly, NASA would launch shuttles up at 51.6 degrees to the International Space Station, making air bases in Spain and France more suitable for an emergency landing.[4]
The airport was the main hub of Gambia Bird until the airline ceased operations in late 2014.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Arik Air | Accra,[5] Freetown (suspended),[lower-alpha 1] Lagos[8] |
| Atlantic Star Airlines operated by TUIfly | London-Luton |
| Binter Canarias operated by NAYSA | Gran Canaria[9] |
| Brussels Airlines | Brussels, Dakar |
| Corendon Dutch Airlines | Amsterdam |
| Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca |
| Thomas Cook Airlines | Seasonal charter: Birmingham, London-Gatwick, Manchester (UK) |
| Small Planet Airlines | Seasonal charter: London Gatwick |
| Transavia.com | Amsterdam |
| TUIfly | Amsterdam |
| Vueling | Barcelona |
Accidents and incidents
- On 4 July 1946, a Bristol Freighter 170 registration G-AHJB flying from Bathurst (now Banjul) to Natal on a delivery flight to Argentina, due to fuel shortage, forced the crew to ditch the plane. The crewmembers were rescued by an American Steamer. The probable cause was powerplant failure resulting from shortage of fuel due to faulty navigation. No one died in the accident.[10]
- On 7 September 1946, a British South American Airways Avro 685 York I registration G-AHEW named "Star Leader" flying from London to Buenos Aires via Lisbon, Bathurst (Banjul)-Jeshwang, Natal, Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont and Montevideo lost control and crashed shortly after takeoff from Bathurst. The cause of the loss of control cannot be determined with certainty, but a mishandling of the controls by the captain is the most likely explanation. All 24 occupants died.[11][12][13]
- On 10 October 1997 a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air operated by NAYSA Aerotaxis crashed on approach 3 miles before the runway. All, but 1 of the 10 occupants died.
See also
List of airports in the Gambia
Notes
- ↑ Beginning in July 2014, Gambia has banned all flights and passengers from Guinea, Liberia, & Sierra Leone due to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. On 11 August 2014, Nigeria banned Gambia Bird due to the Ebola outbreak, despite no cases in Gambia or direct flights by the airline from infected countries to Nigeria.[6][7]
References
- ↑ "APPLICATION FOR A FLIGHT PERMIT." (Archive) Gambia Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 28 January 2013. "THE GAMBIA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY BANJUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT P.O. BOX 285 BANJUL, THE GAMBIA"
- ↑ Space Shuttle Emergency Landing Sites
- ↑ http://www.statehouse.gm/nasa-gambia.html
- ↑ Lacey, Marc (4 September 2005). "Memories Linger Where NASA Lights Shone in Gambia". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Aril Air Adds New Accra / Banjul Service from August 2014". Airline Route. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ↑ "Liberia: Arik Air Suspends Flights to Liberia, Sierra Leon Over Ebola Virus". allAfrica.com. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
The Gambian Government took the proactive decision to stop airlines (including Arik Air) from bringing inbound passengers from Monrovia, Conakry (Guinea) and Freetown into Banjul.
- ↑ Hinshaw, Drew; McGroarty, Patrick (13 August 2014). "Ebola Virus: Nigeria and Ivory Coast Restrict Flights From Countries Hit by Outbreak". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ↑ 2014 Timetable, Arik Air, http://www.arikair.com/sites/default/files/ARIK%20AIR%20FLIGHT_SCHEDULES-2.pdf
- ↑ once a week 2014-2015, https://www.bintercanarias.com/
- ↑ "Accident description G-AHJB". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ↑ "Accident description G-AHEW". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ↑ "23 Killed in Crash of Plane in Africa". Pittsburg Press. 7 September 1946. p. 1.
- ↑ B.S.A.A. York which crashedsoon after take-off at night from Yundum airfield on September 7th, 1946, Access August 2011
External links
- Profile of Banjul International Airport
- Airport information for GBYD at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- Airport information for GBYD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
- Current weather for GBYD at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for BJL at Aviation Safety Network