By: Isatou Sarr
Staff of Gambia International Airlines (GIA) staged a strike action at the company’s headquarters on Monday, October 12th, 2026, to express their frustration over working conditions, staff welfare and alleged mistreatment by the company’s management.
The protest action was attended by senior government officials, including the Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works, and the newly appointed GIA Board Chair, Alagie Sanyang.
Dardoh Faal, Customer Service Supervisor, in an address to the gathering said staff members were frustrated by prolonged uncertainty over job security and what she described as years of unfulfilled promises.
She said the suspension of the staff medical scheme had further worsened their situation, adding that employees depended on the scheme for their healthcare needs.
“Our job security is unforeseen. We are frustrated. It has been ages of promises, and we have not seen anything,” she remarked. Ms Faal also raised concerns over lack of promotions and career advancement opportunities, saying some employees had pursued university education but returned to find their positions unchanged.
“We have worked for ages and there’s no promotion. We have gone to school, gone to the university, and we are back but everything is stagnant,” she emphasized.
According to her, the staff had remained silent about their concerns for a long time but were now speaking out because their livelihoods were at stake.
“We want the nation to hear our struggle. We want the nation to hear what we are going through right now. GIA represents The Gambia in the sky,” she said.
Ms Faal also questioned the government’s approach to competition in the aviation sector, expressing concern that introducing another competitor could undermine the airline’s operations.
She said GIA operated 13 flights during the tourist season and questioned how many flights the company operated during the off-season.
“Why do we want to damage GIA? Why do we want to destroy what truly belongs to us as patriotic citizens of this country?” she asked.
She added that employees depended on the airline for their income and to provide for their families, insisting that staff would no longer remain silent while their livelihoods were threatened.
Addressing the staff, the new Board Chair, Alagie Sanyang, said it was his first meeting with them and assured them that the government cared about the airline.
He said that during his first meeting with the managing director, he had told him to direct any money meant for him to the staff instead. Mr Sanyang also said he and the board’s vice-chair had used their own money to travel to Senegal to address issues concerning GIA, following a letter from Air Senegal and a meeting arranged over the matter.
He acknowledged the concerns raised by the employees but said he would not make promises that the board might be unable to fulfil.
“The President wants, before the end of 2027, for GIA to have its own airline, and it will happen,” he said. He assured the staff that the government and the board took their concerns seriously and they would see changes.
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