Banjul International Airport is located on the airport property. In the event of an emergency on any of the NASA Space Shuttles, Banjul International Airport had been selected as an augmented landing site. Gambia was the perfect location when the shuttle was launched with a low, 28-degree inclination. In 2001 NASA announced that Banjul airport would no longer be used as an augmented landing site because latterly, NASA would launch shuttles up at 51.6 degrees to the International Space Station, making air bases in Spain and France more suitable for an emergency landing. The airport was the main hub of Gambia Bird until
Plymouth-Banjul Challenge motorbikes on it through the desert - the challenge has now been laid down for another team to get a trailer through the desert and in 2006 two ambulances made it across. In the 2004/2005 event, a Swiss Team (Team Pintpullers) drove a Mercedes Van and a 125cc motorbike from Switzerland to Bangul. The Bike was ridden the entire time and reached Banjul where it was donated to the local police. There are even people who cannot drive taking part with one half of a Fiat Uno team learning to drive in the desert where he managed to crash it