Cameroon Opens Probe Into Air Cargo Delays at Douala and Yaounde Airports

Cameroon's National Shippers' Council (CNSC) has opened an investigation into administrative bottlenecks and irregular practices affecting air cargo clearance at Douala and Yaounde-Nsimalen international airports. The review revisits problems that freight operators raised in 2025 and covers goods entering or leaving the country.

The inquiry was announced in a statement signed on 6 October 2026 by CNSC General Manager Auguste Mbappe Penda and is being carried out by the Council's Transport Observatory.

Key facts

• Investigation window: 6 to 31 October 2026
• Airports covered: Douala and Yaounde-Nsimalen international airports
• Conducted by: the CNSC's Transport Observatory
• Who can report problems: importers, exporters, freight forwarders, licensed customs brokers, airlines and public administrations
• 2025 dwell time for imports: an average of eight days in airport warehouses in Q2 2025

What is being investigated?

The CNSC is looking into administrative bottlenecks and irregular practices in air cargo clearance at the two international airports. Importers, exporters, freight forwarders, licensed customs brokers, airlines and public administrations have been invited to report the difficulties they face when clearing goods entering or leaving Cameroon.

What problems were flagged in 2025?

The new investigation follows a meeting held in Douala in March 2025 that brought together the Directorate General of Customs, inspection company SGS, DHL and shippers. The discussions identified several obstacles to air cargo clearance.

Among them were delays in issuing import valuation and tariff classification reports, slow processing of applications submitted without those documents, and recurring disagreements between Customs and SGS over the valuation of imported goods.

Participants recommended creating a fast-track clearance channel, encouraging advance import declarations and clarifying documentation requirements for postal and courier shipments. They also agreed to review progress on the recommendations within three months and to set up a permanent consultation framework. The available information does not establish which measures have since been implemented.

How long is cargo staying at the airports?

In the second quarter of 2025, imported goods spent an average of eight days in airport warehouses, up from 7.8 days during the same period in 2024. Export cargo spent an average of 29 hours in airport warehouses, down from 31 hours a year earlier.

These figures measure warehouse dwell times rather than customs processing alone.

What this means for travellers

The investigation concerns air cargo rather than passenger baggage, but it covers operations at Cameroon's two international airports. Importers and shippers using Douala and Yaounde-Nsimalen can report clearance difficulties to the CNSC's Transport Observatory while the review is open, until 31 October 2026.

No outcome, new procedure or timetable for changes has been announced beyond the end of the investigation on 31 October 2026.