Air Senegal plans US debut in late 3Q21

Air Sénégal (HC, Dakar Blaise Diagne Int’l) plans to launch services from Dakar Blaise Diagne Int’l to the United States on or around September 1, 2021, according to its application for a Foreign Air Carrier Permit and exemption authority to the US Department of Transportation. In a regulatory notice dated February 11, 2021, Senegal’s national carrier seeks permission for scheduled and charter air transportation of persons, property, and mail from any point/s behind Senegal, via any point/s in Senegal and intermediate stations, to any point/s in the US and beyond, subject to a wet-lease or codeshare arrangement with a duly authorised US or foreign carrier. It requests that scheduled and charter exemption authority be granted for two years, or until the Foreign Air Carrier permit is granted. None of Air Senegal’s aircraft will be used to conduct the service, rather, all flights will be operated by a wet-lessor, presumably referring to Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int’l) which operates the Senegalese carrier’s A330-900 9H-SZN (msn 1910) on its behalf under a CMI arrangement. The application says Air Senegal is currently in discussions with US and foreign carriers relating to codeshare, interline, and wet-lease arrangements. According to supporting documents, Air Senegal’s own Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was issued on June 30, 2020, and expires on April 29, 2021. It operates a fleet of eight aircraft, including two A319-100s, two A330-900s, two A321-200s; and two ATR72-600s, according to its application. The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows the A319-100s, one A321-200, and the ATR72s are leased from Carlyle Aviation Partners. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Senegal has received financial support from the Senegalese state to survive the crisis, but financial documents submitted with the application have been kept confidential. The carrier is owned 100% by Caisse des Depots et Consignation (CDC), an investment arm of the Senegalese government. The airline was formed end of 2016 and is the successor to Senegal Airlines (DN, Dakar Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor Int’l), which ceased operating on April 12, 2016. Most of Air Senegal’s current operations are focused on connecting countries in West Africa (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea) to Europe (France, Spain, and Italy starting March 2021) through its Dakar hub. The airline operates a daily flight from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport to Paris CDG. The airline is a central element of President Macky Sall’s “Plan Emergent Senegal” development roadmap that aims to increase investment and economic growth in the country.