Freetown airport fees: the suspended $25 security fee and what you pay now
Since 6 July 2026 passengers at Freetown International Airport do not pay the US$25 airport security fee. The Ministry of Internal Affairs suspended it until further notice so the contract can be reviewed and Audit Service Sierra Leone can carry out a special audit. The systems contract has not ended and airport operations continue. Other charges, such as the passenger service charge, are still added to your ticket.
Suspended: the US$25 airport security fee is not being collected from 6 July 2026 until further notice. If anyone asks you to pay it, ask for the official notice.
Every charge at this airport
| Charge | Amount | Who pays | How it is paid | Set by | Collected by / goes to | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport security fee Suspended from 6 July 2026 by Ministry of Internal Affairs notice of 3 July 2026, pending contract review and a special audit by Audit Service Sierra Leone. 1,2,3,4 | US$25 each way | Inbound and outbound passengers. Diplomatic passport holders exempt. | Was paid online, by mobile money or at Ecobank, UBA and SLCB counters | Ministry of Internal Affairs, from 31 August 2022 (renegotiated from US$40 paid by government since 2016) | The contracted airport systems operator | Suspended |
| Passenger service charge 10,11,6 | US$35 | International departing passengers | Inside the ticket | Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023, from 1 March 2024 (up from US$25) | FIA Ltd, the airport concessionaire | In force |
| Airport development charge The government said the figure was cut from US$150 in the 2021 concession contract. 10,12,11 | US$102 (2026) | International departing passengers | Inside the ticket | Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023: US$100 from 1 March 2024, rising US$1 a year for the 33-year concession | FIA Ltd | In force |
| Aviation security charge This is a ticket charge and is separate from the suspended US$25 security fee. 10,13 | US$39 | International departing passengers | Inside the ticket | Existing charge, kept unchanged by the ministry letter of 28 December 2023 | FIA Ltd | In force |
| Airport safety fee The letter says US$65. Some press reports give US$20 or US$40, so we mark it Unconfirmed. 10,6 | US$65 | International departing passengers | Inside the ticket | Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023, from 1 March 2024 | FIA Ltd | Unconfirmed |
| Air navigation charge 10,6 | US$20 | International departing passengers | Inside the ticket | Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023, from 1 March 2024 | Sierra Leone Airports Authority | In force |
| Banjul Accord Group passenger safety charge 8 | US$1 | Passengers on international departures | Not stated | Banjul Accord Group, phased in from 1 January 2026 | For BAGASOO, BAGAIA and the Banjul Accord Group | Unconfirmed |
Evidence summary: 13 linked sources; 4 charges confirmed in force; 2 unconfirmed. Suspended and proposed charges are not treated as payable now.
How to pay
- Nothing to pay for the security fee during the suspension.
- Check the Ministry of Internal Affairs or this page before you travel in case the fee is brought back or collected in a new way.
- Charges inside your ticket are paid when you buy it. Your receipt lists them by code.
Where the money goes
Before the suspension, the fee was paid to the contracted operator through its online platform or partner banks. Sierra Leone had paid the operator US$40 per passenger from the national budget from 2016 until August 2022, when the cost moved to passengers at a renegotiated US$25.
The government has said it is looking at a more integrated way to collect airport charges, which may mean bringing the fee into the ticket.
What this page does not cover
This page does not judge the contract or the claims made about it, and it is not legal advice. It does not cover visa or e-visa fees.
Common questions
Do I have to pay the $25 security fee at Freetown airport?
Not at the moment. It has been suspended since 6 July 2026 until further notice.
Has the airport systems contract been cancelled?
No. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said the fee suspension is not a termination and that the systems continue operating during the review.
What is securipass.sl?
The online platform where passengers paid the security fee before the suspension.
Is the US$39 aviation security charge the same as the suspended US$25 fee?
No. The US$39 is a ticket charge collected by FIA Ltd, the airport concessionaire, and it is still in force. The suspended US$25 fee was a separate charge paid to the systems operator.
Will ticket charges go down?
An ECOWAS act signed in December 2024 asks member states to cut passenger service and security charges by 25 percent from 1 January 2026. As of July 2026 the press reported that Sierra Leone had not yet made the cuts.
Sources
- Premier Media: Government suspends USD 25 airport security fee (notice of 3 July 2026)
- Voyages Afriq: Sierra Leone suspends US$25 airport security fee (6 July 2026)
- Awoko: Inbound, outbound passengers to pay US$25 (Ministry of Internal Affairs release, August 2022)
- Air Peace: Ministry of Internal Affairs notice on the US$25 security fee and payment channels (no longer online) (link unavailable; retained because a charge cites this record)
- Awoko: Cost of air tickets go down (2019 charges)
- Sierra Eye Magazine: ministry letter on new airport charges (December 2023)
- Dubawa: False, no new $165 tax for passengers (October 2023)
- BusinessDay: Banjul Accord Group adopts $1 passenger levy
- ATTA: Sierra Leone suspends $25 airport security fee pending contract review and audit
- Sierraloaded: Government announces revised airport charges, with the Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023
- Sierraloaded: SLCAA says new charges are in the ticket from 1 March 2024 (26 February 2024)
- Sierraloaded: Government revises terms of the Freetown airport concession (31 December 2023)
- WFP Logistics Cluster: Sierra Leone airport charges, including the US$39 security charge
- Sierraloaded: Sierra Leone yet to lower air travel costs under ECOWAS act (21 July 2026)
Change log
- : Page published. Suspension status confirmed against the 3 July 2026 notice as reported.
- : Replaced the reported ticket charges with the figures in the Ministry of Transport and Aviation letter of 28 December 2023, and added the US$39 aviation security charge.