Thursday, August 29, 2024 Air Sénégal, grappling with heavy debt, poor load factors, and overly ambitious expansion plans, is facing significant operational challenges. Recently, the airline announced it would suspend its flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, effectively ending its service to the United States for the foreseeable future.
Originally, Air Sénégal aspired to become a leading example of West African aviation, offering extensive connections to Europe and North America using a fleet of modern aircraft. However, the latest round of network cuts brings the airline back to near square one, undermining its ambitious vision. This downsizing is disappointing, especially considering the airline’s impressive livery and state-of-the-art fleet, which includes the Airbus A330neo and A320ceo.
In collaboration with Romuald Ngueyap, Editor-in-Chief at NewsAero, we explore the reasons behind Air Sénégal’s decision to suspend its New York route, as well as the broader challenges facing the airline. Starting September 15, 2024, Air Sénégal will halt its twice-weekly service between Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) and New York JFK Airport, as reported by Aeroroutes. The final flight from the United States is scheduled for the following day.
In addition to this significant reduction, the airline is also discontinuing two of its intra-African routes. They are as follows: Route Aircraft Frequencies Last Flight Dakar-Cotonou-Libreville-.