Air Senegal signs MoU for eight Airbus aircraft

Air Senegal, the state-owned flagship carrier of Senegal, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for eight Airbus A220 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday, the airline said in a statement.

According to Chief Executive Officer Ibrahima Kane, the planes would allow the airline to fly routes to Europe and West Africa when deliveries start in 2021.

The carrier, based out of the Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, was set up in 2016 to replace Senegal’s bankrupted Senegal Airlines. It is part of the country’s 20-year investment plan. The airline’s goal is to become the leader in West African air transport.

Air Senegal’s fleet currently consists of six aircraft. The carrier operates three Airbus A319s, one Airbus A330-900, and two ATR 72 aircraft. Air Senegal currently services 10 destinations, mostly in West Africa, plus a connection to Paris. New routes are planned before the end of 2019.

Air Senegal’s strategy is similar to that of Ethiopian Airlines’, in that it focuses on ownership, autonomy, and expansion.

The creation of Air Senegal is part of the Emerging Senegal Plan (ESP), launched in 2012 and focused on fiscal consolidation, economic diversification, investment in education and public infrastructure, such as roads and power.

The ESP includes ambitious plans focusing on four sectors: agriculture and land; information and communications technology; transport; and energy.