Air Senegal is launching new Dakar-Freetown route via Banjul, Gambia, a line that consolidates the strategic development plan aimed at linking the two cities of West Africa to Dakar.
The flight will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays and is in line with Sierra Leon’s medium term development plan of promoting regional connectivity and was issued by Sierra Leon’s ministry of transport and aviation which granted Air Senegal a foreign operator’s licence to operate in Sierra Leone.
Air Senegal made its maiden flight to Freetown on Monday 2, August, with Sierra Leone ambassador to Senegal Alhaji Brima Elvis Koroma aboard who noted that “it is good for regional integration”.
The Blaise International Airport based airline will be facing stiff competition from Trans Air, which resumed services from March, 13, 2021 and flies from Dakar-Conakry and Dakar-Freetown flying three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays as well as ASKY Airlines which also flies to and from Freetown, Accra and Lome in Togo.
Meanwhile, On Monday July 26, the Air Force School and Air Senegal signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will enable the development of a reference training institute.
The partnership signed by Air Brigadier General, Papa Souleymane SARR, Chief of the Air Staff and Ibrahima Kane, General Manager of Air Senegal aims to arrive very quickly to the selection and training of the first promotion of cadet pilots and aeronautical maintenance technicians as early as the October 2021, academic year.
By victor Shalton Odhiambo
