GABON · AVIATION SECURITY
Key Facts
—Meeting Gabon’s civil aviation agency (ANAC) received US Embassy security officials in Libreville on 16 October 2026 to discuss airport and state security.
—Who ANAC’s director-general, Major General Éric Tristan Franck Moussavou, met Bernabé Nouna-Ayong, a senior investigator for diplomatic security, and Michael Lee, the embassy’s regional security director.
—Ask ANAC said Gabon needs expert help and training to build national capacity in airport security.
—System A US company, Securiport LLC, is installing a passenger-screening system under an agreement signed on 21 May 2026.
—Fee Two orders signed on 10 June and published on 19 June set a US$30 charge per international passenger, collected by airlines.
Gabon’s civil aviation agency met security officials from the US Embassy in Libreville on 16 October and asked for expert help in building its airport security. The talks come as a US company installs a system that screens international passengers before they land.
For US readers, the story shows how Washington and a US contractor are becoming part of border security in Central Africa. It does not show that Gabon will hand passenger data to the US government.
Talks at the Aviation Agency
The agency, known as ANAC, said the meeting covered cooperation on airport security and state security. Its director-general, Major General Éric Tristan Franck Moussavou, led the Gabonese side.
The US team was led by Bernabé Nouna-Ayong, a senior investigator in diplomatic security, with Michael Lee, the embassy’s regional security director. ANAC stressed Gabon’s need for support and experts to strengthen national capacity.
The Passenger Data System
Gabon is introducing an Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record system, known as API-PNR. It combines identity details taken at check-in with booking data, so officials can screen travellers before arrival.
Officials describe it as a tool against terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border crime. No official statement we found says the United States will receive or access Gabon’s passenger records.
Gabon signed an agreement with Securiport LLC, a US-based company, on 21 May 2026 to supply the equipment, software and services. Transport Minister Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi visited Securiport’s installations at Léon-Mba airport on Monday, 12 October, to speed up deployment.
A US$30 Fee Draws Industry Objections
Two orders signed on 10 June and published in the official gazette on 19 June set a US$30 charge on each international passenger, arriving or departing. Airlines collect it when they issue tickets, and it pays for the system.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline trade body, asked on 6 August for the fee to be suspended, according to Gabonese press reports. It cited the size of the fee, the lack of consultation, a system not yet working and privacy concerns, and we found no government reply.
Privacy Questions Remain
Public questions centre on what data will be collected, which Gabonese agencies can see it and how long it is kept. Others ask whether it can be sent abroad and how a passenger could correct an error.
We found no court challenge, no published data-protection assessment and no statement from a Gabonese privacy regulator. An earlier consultation on the system had backing from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.
What It Means for US Readers
A US company supplies the system, and US security officials are now in direct talks with Gabon’s aviation agency. American travellers and airlines serving Libreville will meet the new screening and the US$30 fee.
Nothing published suggests Washington will get Gabon’s passenger records under the current arrangement. That would be a separate agreement, and none has been announced.
What Is Not Known
No data-sharing deal with the United States has been announced, and the time of the 16 October meeting was not published. Retention periods, deletion rules and correction procedures for passenger data have not been published either.
It is also unclear which airports are covered, whether the charge is being collected on every ticket and when the system will be fully operational. Several outlets say the fee already applies, but the government has not confirmed a start date.
Sources
ANAC Gabon · Streamline Feed · We Are Tech Africa
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Gabon agree to share passenger data with the United States?
No data-sharing agreement has been announced. The 16 October talks covered security cooperation and expertise.
What is the API-PNR system?
It combines passenger identity data collected at check-in with booking records so officials can screen travellers before arrival. Gabon signed an agreement with US-based Securiport LLC on 21 May 2026 to supply it.
How is the system paid for?
A US$30 charge per international passenger, set by two orders signed on 10 June, is collected by airlines at ticketing. The International Air Transport Association asked on 6 August for it to be suspended.
Who met in Libreville on 16 October?
Gabon’s civil aviation director-general, Major General Éric Tristan Franck Moussavou, met two US Embassy security officials. They were Bernabé Nouna-Ayong and Michael Lee.