While Air Senegal is experiencing difficulties in regularizing the registration of its aircraft, the American supplier Carlyle Aviation Partners is emerging as a thorn in the side of the national company. Between alleged blackmail, veiled threats and immobilized aircraft, the survival of the national flag now depends on decisive intervention by the Senegalese state.
According to L’Observateur, Carlyle, which supplies Air Senegal with four planes – two A319s and two A321s – plays a murky role by blocking the administrative procedures necessary for their registration. These complications arise after years of rental which have already cost the national company nearly 58 billion FCFA. January 18, 2025, the critical date for updating registrations, revealed the extent of these blockages.
The complex administrative situation of Air Senegal aggravates these difficulties. Although Tidiane Ndiaye has been appointed Managing Director several months ago, the company’s official documents continue to mention the former Managing Director, Alioune Badara Fall, as its legal representative. This anomaly, already reported by Anacim (Senegal’s National Civil Aviation Authority), required a formal letter addressed to Carlyle on January 13, 2025, requesting an update of the delegations of powers. Despite the emergency, Carlyle remains silent.
Unbearable financial pressure
At the same time, Carlyle is demanding a letter of intent to purchase 20 billion FCFA for the four planes, the remainder of which would have to be paid by the end of 2025. However, Air Sénégal’s finances do not allow such a commitment. According to internal sources cited by L’Observateur, the cumulative rental and maintenance costs of these devices exceed their current value. Worse, two of the four planes, an A319 and an A321, have been grounded for two years and seven months respectively, while the rent continues to be paid to Carlyle.
Faced with these obstacles, Air Senegal initiated legal proceedings against Carlyle. “Carlyle is blackmailing and treating Air Senegal like a cash cow. What was spent exceeds the value of the planes on the market,” an internal source confides to L’Observateur.
-To avoid an imminent catastrophe, the General Management of Air Senegal claims to have found a temporary solution to maintain regular flights. However, without state support, bankruptcy seems inevitable. Some within the company are even considering a change of aircraft manufacturer, moving from the European Airbus to the American Boeing, in particular due to engine malfunctions in one of the A330Neos in the fleet.
The issues go far beyond the commercial framework. “The national flag is a tool of sovereignty. If we continue to depend on partners like Carlyle, we are heading straight into the wall,” warns a source in L’Observateur.
Ultimately, the Carlyle affair reveals the structural fragilities and financial challenges of Air Senegal. The question remains whether the state will intervene in time to save a company which, despite everything, represents a symbol of national pride.
