Air Senegal to Connect U.S. with Dakar
Flights on Air Senegal from Dakar to New York and Washington to launch in September
State owned carrier Air Senegal has announced plans to launch US flights later this year.
This page on the airline’s website states that twice weekly flights will launch on September 2, with a nonstop service from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) to New York JFK, from where the flight will connect onto Washington Dulles.
The return service will route Washington Dulles-New York JFK-Dakar (rather than being a triangular route).
The flight from Dakar will depart at 1.30 am, arriving in New York John F Kennedy (JFK) at 6 am, where inbound passengers will clear US customs and can catch onward flight HC407 that leaves JFK at 8.30 am. and arrives in Washington Dulles (IAD) at 10 am. The return leg departs IAD at 8.25 pm, arriving in JFK at 9.55 pm. Flight HC408 leaves New York at 11.55 pm and arrives in the Senegalese capital at 12.25 pm the following day. The service will run Wednesdays and Saturdays on an Airbus A330-900 aircraft.
Air Senegal will be the only African carrier to offer direct flights between Senegal and the US – Delta flies between New York JFK and Dakar.
The airline said that the new service would also offer connections to and from destinations including Ziguinchor, Cap Skirring, Banjul, Conakry, Praia, Abidjan, Nouakchott, Bamako Cotonou, Douala, Libreville and Casablanca.
Flights on the Airbus A330 neo are to be configured with 32 seats in business class, 21 in premium economy and 237 in economy. The aircraft will offer inflight WIFI, and offer a two-parcel baggage allowance.
Commenting on the news Ibrahima Kane, managing director of Air Senegal, said:
“It is with great pleasure that we announce a new year-round link between Senegal and the United States of America, which is part of the strategic expansion of our intercontinental network.
“In addition, the United States remains a high priority market for our diaspora, which is well represented in the area. With this flight, Air Senegal will make the USA even more accessible, and therefore better connectivity will strengthen the solid economic and socio-cultural ties between the USA and Senegal”.
In February 2020 Air Senegal announced a new route between Dakar and London Stansted. The service had been due to start in June 2020, but was postponed due to Covid-19, and has yet to launch.
