Tidiane Ndiaye, general manager of the national airline Air Sénégal, was the guest of the morning show “Salam Sénégal” on Radio Sénégal. He discussed the difficulties encountered by the company as well as the new directions undertaken since he took office on August 1, 2024.
“Today, Air Senegal is restructuring. My policy, with the support of the authorities, is to develop the company starting with Africa, then Europe. » explains Tidiane Ndiaye. Indeed, the company faced frequent delays and financial losses due to too broad coverage for a fleet limited to only four aircraft.
Faced with these problems, management decided to cease certain loss-making destinations such as New York, Marseille, Lyon, and Barcelona to concentrate on Africa. “Today, everything is centralized on Africa. For example, the Ivory Coast destination increased from 5 to 10 flights per week, and we increased flights to Benin, Mali, and Burkina. » indicates the general director. In Europe, only the France destination is maintained with a daily flight, thus reducing delays and optimizing the use of aircraft.
Tidiane Ndiaye also announces the repair of two technically broken planes to strengthen the fleet. In addition, new 19-seater aircraft have been acquired to expand domestic flights. “Within the country, we already have 10 flights per week to Cap-Skiring. We are also working on destinations like Saint-Louis, Ourossogui, Podor, Matam, Tambacounda, and Kédougou to democratize air transport. » he specifies.
With a debt estimated at nearly 100 billion FCFA, Tidiane Ndiaye affirms that discussions are underway with partners to restore confidence. “With the help of the authorities, we found solutions, which made it possible to lift the blockages on our planes. » he adds.
Concerning freight, Air Senegal is banking on the development of its transport capacity. The project provides for the acquisition of a cargo plane to serve the sub-region and Europe, thus strengthening the ambition to make Dakar an air hub according to Tidiane Ndiaye.
