The ceremony was held at the Banjul International Airport on Saturday, signifying a milestone achievement in advancing regional air connectivity and fostering economic integration in West African region.
The inaugural flight also marks the beginning of new collaborations, cooperation and sustainable transport development within Africa, which corresponds with ongoing efforts to promote regional integration, and economic growth, aligning with the African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) initiative.
Overland Airways, one of Nigeria’s premier carriers, is committed to providing safe and reliable service, deploying its brand-new aircraft for The Gambia route. The airline has invested in state-of-the-art equipment, delivered in July 2024, as a testament to its confidence in Gambia’s Civil Aviation Authority and its dedication to fostering growth in the region.
The minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, in his statement showed gratitude to His Excellency President Adama Barrow in his continuous commitment to ensuring that The Gambia aviation authority is flourishing in the African aviation industry.
“The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure believes that establishing direct air links between Lagos and Banjul will greatly benefit the two sister countries, as it will enable greater movement of our people, which will lead to wider economic benefits and prosperity. Therefore, I wish to assure you of my Ministry's commitment to providing all necessary support to the airlines and all those that are interested in establishing their industries in the Gambia, in the form of incentives, granting of rights and border routes, as well as designation where necessary; to ensure that we make Banjul an operational centre of airlines in the West African subregion,” he said.
A population of nearly 280 million people, he added, Nigeria has an active travel population of about 17 million people. And the Gambia which only needs just 500,000 people of that market will need an all-year tourism in The Gambia.
CEO of Over-Land Airways, Mr. Edward Boyo, expressed the importance of accelerating accessible travel within West Africa, saying that will ensure and foster unity and economic growth in Africa.
“Overland Airways is very pleased to be here today, and like the DG explained to us, it was a lot of work that has been done over 20 years to make today happen. Today, Overland Airways presents itself under the African Union, the African Civil Aviation Commission, single air transport market programme, which is a programme designed to open the skies of Africa and raise the integration of African states.”
Air travel is currently, I would say, confined to the well-to-do, but we are trying to make air transport affordable and available for everybody so that African continent can progress in economy, in trade, and in the integration of our people.”
Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority Nfansu Bojang highlighted key factors that could contribute to the aviation industry in The Gambia and Africa at large.
According to him, the high cost of air travel in African sub-region, and how waving ticket costs as taxes could rapidly increase the drop of ticket costs, which will facilitate easy travel and promote tourism.
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