"it is modern, very clean"
D Stanley (United Kingdom)
✅ Trip Verified | Freetown airport was always a miserable place to be. Even after it was refurbished it only became tolerable. In 2023 a completely new terminal was opened. I have the pleasure of sitting in the business lounge writing this review. The new airport was I believe built by a Turkish company. Sitting here, I could be in another continent. Or perhaps not, since FNA is rather better than the overcrowded airports in Europe. Lots of African countries have built new airports and Sierra Leone is one of the latest and have achieved something remarkable. The airport is not huge of course, but it is modern, very clean, with good facilities and for my Brussels Airlines flight, no queue anywhere. I found the staff to be welcoming, polite and on top of what they are doing. There are a few but enough shops and places to eat. The lounge is a good place to be. Food is more than adequate. Strangely, no beer but the wine is good. The airport must have been expensive but it does give a good first and last impression of Sierra Leone.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | January 2024 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"its a nice little airport"
D Bullock (Botswana)
✅ Trip Verified | Brand spanking new airport. Built and operated by Turkish airport company. Touts and money changers etc all kept outside wich is good. Landing & departure USD25 each tax payment is a real pain and slow and unpleasant experience. Rude airport and security staff. Departure immigration officer ultra rude and very low on skill and job knowledge. Facilities all clean and fresh. Restaurant and shopping still very limited. Business class lounge is good for that part of the world. No beer no ice no sugar free drinks any where in the airport. All things considered its a nice little airport. Staff and officials need some serious training and attitude improvement. Signage is bad. Communication is worse. Why not tell people to pay all taxes on arrival or on arrival at airport, not once you are past the security check points.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | May 2023 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Wifi Connectivity | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
"departures are a true mess"
8 reviews H Blumenthal (France)
✅ Trip Verified | Possibly the worst airport of an African capital. And I know very many. Arrival are pretty much okay given the extremely poor infrastructure. But departures are a true mess. Apart from being exceptionally far from the capital on the contrary of most African airports that are usually very close, with a pretty bad road, it is not only extremely old and small but also extremely dirty. Staff are plentiful but only busy discussing between themselves. The tiny business lounge which was confirmed as opened when I checked in was in fact closed for my 3 hours waiting for no reason other than "the staff had something else to do" according to 1 of the local shopkeepers. The only seats are most uncomfortable steel benches. Loudspeakers are impossible to understand. I have been trotting all around the African continent for tens of years so I am comparing apples to apples! The sun everything in one word: shameful.
Experience At Airport | Arrival and Departure |
Date Visit | March 2019 |
Type Of Traveller | Business |
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Terminal Seating | 12345 |
Terminal Signs | 12345 |
Food Beverages | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Airport Staff | 12345 |
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Dave Stanley (United Kingdom)
There are substantial and ongoing improvements to Freetown Airport. They have been rebuilding the terminal building around the old structure for the last few months. Departure and arrival procedures are now quite painless compared with the hot and basic conditions before. The check in area is large and clean and I did not have to queue for long. They could still do with increasing the air conditioning in that area though. Security is good and immigration is using new computers and biometric systems. The departure lounge is now quite big and comfortable. There are a few well stocked duty free shops. The original restaurant is still available as well as a new one upstairs. The new one is not well signposted. Overall a big improvement. FNA now compares favourably with other airports in Africa.
Queuing Times | 12345 |
Terminal Cleanliness | 12345 |
Airport Shopping | 12345 |
Recommended | yes |
Freetown Airport customer review
Dave Stanley
Few improvements to report. Check-in is still slow and chaotic. There are a few more air- conditioners inside so it is not quite so hot. There have been recent problems with theft from checked luggage. Some reports even suggest that bags had been cut open. Definitely do not leave money or valuables in luggage. And do not let airport staff see if there is anything valuable in there. Business class passengers have a better experience because the initial queuing is reduced and the lounge provided some good food.
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Dave Stanley
I have been using the airport almost every month during the last year. Some improvement in arrival procedures has been made. There are not usually long queues at immigration and baggage arrives quite quickly. For departures the entrance hall is still busy and too hot but if you take a fan and pay a porter you can survive. A couple of positives the duty free shop remains good and cheap and the food in the upstairs bar/restaurant is good. The check in area has been improved with modern counters. Hopefully this will reduce the queuing time in the entrance hall once it is fully up and running.
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Peter Bedson
Much better than it used to be - they seem to have clamped down on the baggage handlers and general hangers on trying to extract dollars from you on the way in. On the way out no real problems aside from a few panhandllers trying to take a last opportunity to rip you off. Don't miss the duty free shop - it looks awful from the outside but is really well stocked and cheap.
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Dave Stanley
Back again at the end of March. This time not such a good experience. On the way in baggage was late because the handlers could not be bothered to do their job. On the return we suffered a very long wait in the extremely hot entrance hall. This is caused by the very slow and beauracratic check in procedures. The air conditioning in the main part of the airport is proving totally inadequate and many units do not work. Some of the staff are quite unhelpful. Sierra Leone needs tourism but no respectable tour company would let their customers suffer this.
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Dave Stanley
This airport has improved significantly over the last 5 years. It was badly damaged during the troubles. The only facilities were a partly destroyed hanger. Now the main terminal has been refurbished it is quite respectable. Arrival is easy enough. You will need to be firm with the baggage handlers. They have been clamped down on recently but they will still try there best to relieve you of a few $. If you let them one will carry your bags to the door another for a few more feet etc. Just say no and try not to look as if it is your first visit. Once you have got your bags you have to visit the customs bench. You will now need transport to Freetown which is the other side of a large estuary. There are helicopters a ferry and a hovercraft. Take the Paramount helicopter the other two take too long and are unreliable. It is cheap $37 on my recent visit. You may have to change this into the local Leones before buying the ticket. There is an exchange office which gives respectable rates. The helicopter departure area is the old hanger that used to be the main terminal. It is dirty and hot so try to get the first helicopter. These are old but reliable Russian MI-8's. You will arrive at the Mammy Yoko heliport. Here you will most likely be met by your local agency or whoever you are visiting. If not local taxis are available. A trip to most parts of Freetown should cost no more than Le10-20000. If you do not have accommodation booked go to the Cape Sierra Hotel or Bintumani Hotel which are very close. On the way back the helicopters leave about 6 hours before the time of departure. You then wait outside the Lungi terminal for an hour or more before suffering the long and bureaucratic check in procedure. This is typically African and can take an hour+. The main lounge is air conditioned. There is also a very good duty free shop and a reasonable restaurant upstairs. You will probably not be hassled by airport officials for bribes unlike other countries in the region.
Recommended | no |
Freetown Airport customer review
Francis Ellis
Freetown Lungi International Airport is a small airport terminal building. It recieves very few flights the majority being international. It has so positive attributes like no congestion speedy check in and checkout. A hotel is conveniently located near it. There is a duty free shop and restaurant. There is also a VIP Lounge for the elite and other first class passengers. Beware that the airport is very small. It needs renovations and a series of expansions effort due to its small size. The government is in the works of expanding it to accomodate the international passengers.
Recommended | no |