By Mohamed Lamin Banya
The Government of Sierra Leone has announced the temporary suspension of the US$25 Airport Security Fee charged to departing passengers at the Freetown International Airport.
According to a public notice issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the suspension will take effect on Monday, 6 July 2026, and will remain in force until further notice.
The ministry said the decision was taken to allow for a comprehensive review of the existing contractual arrangement and the completion of an independent special audit being conducted by the Audit Service Sierra Leone.
Authorities also plan to assess a more efficient and integrated system for collecting airport-related charges to reduce inconvenience for travelers.
The ministry clarified that the suspension does not terminate the contract with Securiport (SL) Limited, which will continue to manage its core airport security operations and passenger data systems.
Diplomatic passport holders will continue to be exempt from the fee.
The Airport Security Fee was introduced to support security operations at the airport but has attracted public concern over its transparency and collection process.
Government said the outcome of the ongoing audit will help determine the future of the fee and how it will be managed going forward.
