Air Senegal: The A220 and A330 Redrawing the Network from Dakar's New Hub

History and positioning

The 2018 relaunch aims to make Dakar a connecting point between Europe, West Africa and the Americas, taking advantage of Senegal's geographic position on the Atlantic coast. The choice to invest both in a modern widebody like the A330neo and in a new-generation aircraft like the A220 reflects a dual ambition: to consolidate long-haul service to Europe and at the same time to develop an African regional network that is more efficient than the old turboprops.

The fleet

The fleet includes three Airbus A319ceos, two A321ceos, two A330-900neos for long-haul and two ATR 72-600s for regional routes with limited demand, joined by the A220-300s being delivered from a total order of eight. Air Senegal was the first African airline to fly the A330neo, introduced in 2019 on the Paris route.

What passengers say

The reviews available on the main travel portals describe an onboard product judged to be modern, thanks to the relatively young fleet, with particular praise for the comfort of the A330neo on the Paris route. The most frequently cited weaknesses concern the lower frequency of African regional routes compared with the large Gulf or North African carriers, and waiting times at the contact center that are not always short.

Routes and network

The flagship route remains Dakar-Paris, operated with the A330-900neo, while the A220s are gradually being used both on African regional routes and on new European routes with lower demand than Paris, such as Casablanca. The airline's strategy is to use the A220 as a bridge between the African regional network and the European one, reducing reliance on widebodies alone for medium-haul routes.

Air Senegal is a good option for anyone traveling between Dakar and Paris on a relatively recent aircraft or who wants to try the A220 on an African regional route, while those looking for the highest number of weekly frequencies to a smaller European destination should check the schedules carefully, which are still being consolidated as the A220 fleet arrives gradually. Given the rapid fleet growth, it is worth checking the aircraft type assigned to your flight when you book, because the cabin configuration varies considerably between the A319, A220 and A330neo.