#Headlines

Air Senegal to serve BWI with twice-weekly flights to Dakar

Sep 3, 2021, 12:47 PM

Beginning Thursday, 2 September 2021 Marylanders will have a new opportunity to travel to West Africa – Air Senegal will begin servicing BWI Marshall Airport twice a week.

The airline, which serves as the national flag carrier for the Republic of Senegal, will operate two roundtrip flights each week to Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, BWI said in a news release.

The flights will be offered on Thursdays and Sundays and will make one stop at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to the news release. They will be operated by Maltese charter airline Hi Fly Malta with an Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.

Each plane will have 32 flatbed business class seats, 21 in premium economy and 237 in economy. Flights arriving in Senegal will clear U.S. Customs in New York before traveling to BWI Marshall, the news release said.

"We welcome this new Air Senegal service, which will foster tourism and trade opportunities between Maryland and Senegal," Ricky Smith, executive director of BWI Marshall Airport, said in a statement. "Air Senegal will offer easy access and efficient service to West Africa for many travelers throughout our National Capital region."

Air Senegal is currently committed to servicing BWI through late March 2022, according to the news release. Travelers can connect to several markets in Africa from Blaise Diagne, including Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Bamako, Mali; Conakry, Guinea; Banjul, Gambia; Ziguinchor, Senegal; Nouakchott, Mauritania; and Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Greg Slater, Maryland Department of Transportation secretary, called the addition of Air Senegal to BWI Marshall "a win for the region and a win for the traveling public."

"BWI Marshall consistently earns high ratings for convenience, comfort and reliability, and I know our team is looking forward to extend that service and hospitality to Air Senegal customers," Slater said in a statement. Source: Patch