Gabon : Consultation on optimizing the time required to transfer goods to bonded warehouses
As part of the follow-up to concerns raised by the High Council for Investment (HCI) regarding the time required to transfer goods transported by air between aircraft and bonded warehouses at Libreville’s Léon Mba International Airport, the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) invited all relevant stakeholders to a working session on August 5, 2026.
This meeting brought together all stakeholders involved in the air freight logistics chain, including:
- Afrijet airport services
- DHL Gabon
- Logistics Service Gabon
- Navitrans
- MO Security
- Handling Partner Gabon
- COREX
- OMEGA Security
- Africa Global Logistics
- Directorate General of Customs and Indirect Taxes
- GSEZ-Airport
- Company Home Support Supply
- Gabon Handling Group
- G4S
- AVOMO Cargo
The aim of the work was to examine, in a coordinated manner, the entire process of transporting goods, from unloading from the aircraft to their handling in bonded warehouses, in order to:
- establish a detailed map of the different stages of the process;
- identify the actors involved at each phase and their respective responsibilities;
- determine the observed delays for each of the operations;
- identify the constraints affecting the fluidity of the supply chain;
- formulate proposals for improvement aimed at reducing processing times and strengthening operational efficiency.
The discussions focused primarily on the execution of goods transport operations, specifying the tasks performed by each participant, the interfaces between the different actors, the execution deadlines, and the applicable operational procedures.
During the discussions, the operators indicated that, contrary to some information relayed, the time required to transport goods between the aircraft and the bonded warehouses generally does not exceed two hours.
On the other hand, the main difficulties identified concern customs clearance procedures, associated regulatory requirements, interventions during extra-legal hours, as well as insufficient communication and coordination between the different stakeholders.
In order to improve the quality of service offered to users while ensuring compliance with current regulations, several recommendations have been made, including:
- the digitisation of procedures in order to harmonise local documentation, to take into account the constraints specific to each stakeholder and to reduce processing times;
- strengthening awareness of import procedures, with the support of the Gabonese Shippers Council, in particular through the provision of a comprehensive directory of relevant administrations and organizations;
- the establishment of a single window on the airport platform, intended to centralize administrative procedures and reduce processing times.
The implementation of these recommendations will require broad consultation with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Transport, Merchant Marine and Logistics, in order to strengthen the performance of the airport logistics chain.
Source : ANAC
