Gambia International Airlines
Encyclopedia
Gambia International Airlines (GIA) was the national airline
of The Gambia, headquartered in Banjul
. It operated mostly regional passenger services within West Africa
out of Banjul International Airport
, as well as flights to London
. The airline was owned by the Government of The Gambia (99%) and Gambia Telecommunications Company (1%).
. Even though claiming net profit
of 1.3 million dollars
in 2003, the airline was forced to suspend its flight operations again in April 2004 due to operational problems. Gambia International Airlines could never re-establish any flight operations, and was finally shut down in 2007.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
of The Gambia, headquartered in Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
. It operated mostly regional passenger services within West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
out of Banjul International Airport
Banjul International Airport
Banjul International Airport also known as Yundum International is the international airport of Banjul, capital of The Gambia.In 2004, the airport served 967,719 passengers....
, as well as flights to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The airline was owned by the Government of The Gambia (99%) and Gambia Telecommunications Company (1%).
History
Gambia International Airlines was established on 23 January 1996 and started operations (originally only ground handling) on 1 March of the same year. Flight operations were started on 1 December 2000 in co-operation with Air NamibiaAir Namibia
Air Namibia is the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in Windhoek. It operates scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services under IATA airline designator SW and ICAO airline designator NMB. Its international hub is Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport,...
. Even though claiming net profit
Net profit
Net profit or net revenue is a measure of the profitability of a venture after accounting for all costs. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 91 percent responded that they found the "net profit" metric very useful...
of 1.3 million dollars
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
in 2003, the airline was forced to suspend its flight operations again in April 2004 due to operational problems. Gambia International Airlines could never re-establish any flight operations, and was finally shut down in 2007.
Destinations
Upon closure, Gambia International Airlines served the following scheduled destinations:- The GambiaThe GambiaThe Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
- BanjulBanjul-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
- Banjul International AirportBanjul International AirportBanjul International Airport also known as Yundum International is the international airport of Banjul, capital of The Gambia.In 2004, the airport served 967,719 passengers....
- Banjul
- NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- LagosLagosLagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
- Murtala Muhammed International Airport
- Lagos
- SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
- DakarDakarDakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
- Léopold Sédar Senghor International AirportLéopold Sédar Senghor International AirportLéopold Sédar Senghor International Airport is an international airport serving Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The airport is situated near the town of Yoff, north of Dakar...
- Dakar
- Sierra LeoneSierra LeoneSierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
- FreetownFreetownFreetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean located in the Western Area of the country, and had a city proper population of 772,873 at the 2004 census. The city is the economic, financial, and cultural center of...
- Lungi International AirportLungi International Airport-Incidents and accidents:On August 11th, 2004 at around 2:30 p.m. a Boeing 737 plane operated by Air Guinee Express crashed while failing to take off at Lungi Airport. None of the 70 passengers aboard were killed....
- Freetown
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
- London Gatwick AirportLondon Gatwick AirportGatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
- London
Fleet
In 2004, the Gambia International Airlines fleet consisted of the following aircraft:- 1 Boeing 737-200
- 1 Boeing 737-800