The serious accident at the Blaise Diagne Diass Airport on the night of May 8-9, 2024, left many people injured and extensive material damage. The toll was heavy, but somewhat insignificant, given the scale of the catastrophe that such a crash could have caused in the circumstances of a high-altitude flight. It should be noted, however, that this incident, described as a mini-crash in the jargon of air transport professionals, is nonetheless a serious case; all the more so as it hardly came as a surprise to the technicians and many of the passengers.

4 billion lost per month! Is it lost for everyone?

In addition, there is a certain frenzy of leasing of aircraft belonging particularly to Transair. It is common practice for the national airline to rent aircraft from this private company for several rotations in a single day. Better still, all domestic flights to Saint-Louis are systematically operated with Transair aircraft. On each occasion, many passengers have had to deplore frightful situations in flight. Charter procedures are not always respected. Charters are carried out on the basis of a simple telephone call, without the necessary technical and maintenance checks. Emergencies are invoked every time, and this has become the rule. Three Air Senegal aircraft are on grounded, they include an ATR in Nouakchott, one in Diass and another A330 which effected the flight to New York. All these aircraft have engine problems and are waiting for new engines.

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Aircraft are chartered for loss-making international destinations. Why persist in losing money like this? No doubt it’s not all doom and gloom. Air Senegal is bailed out every month to the tune of 4 billion from the Senegalese state budget. This is the amount provided for in the Finance Act 2024, but sources close to the Ministry of Finance indicate that the infusions far exceed this budget threshold. It’s a challenge to keep the company flying. So be it! But what’s to stop an audit of costs and operations?

An Air Senegal-Transair fusion project in peril

The competitive situation between Air Senegal and Transair seemed to demonstrate the need for harmonized action. The two airlines serve Ziguinchor daily and also compete on routes to Praia, Conakry and other destinations. Air Senegal’s Managing Director, Alioune Badara Fall, back in his days as technical advisor at the Ministry of Air Transport, advocated the idea of creating a subsidiary called Air Senegal Express. Management would be entrusted to Transair’s executives. Meaning, Transair’s fleet would be acquired and repainted in the subsidiary’s colours, to handle domestic and local flights.

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Air Senegal is said to be expanding to other destinations and working to rationalize its operating costs. As one expert points out, “some routes can be highly profitable, such as Dakar-Abidjan, while loss-making routes create a huge operating gap, which is why the national airline is in such difficulty”. The plan, so far put forward by the CEO of Air Senegal’s, is said to have won over Transair’s boss, Alioune Fall (a curious homonym, I might add). It remains to be seen whether this crash and the state of the fleet will not compromise the project once and for all. Sources claim that the new Senegalese authorities have endorsed the project, modelled from Royal Air Maroc with its subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express or Air France with its subsidiary Hop.

In fact, the close relationship between the Prime Minister and the private airline could have helped make this idea a reality. Indeed, Ousmane Sonko chose to fly Transair only on the Dakar-Ziguinchor route when he was in opposition. This preference led to rumors that Transair executives were close to Pastef leaders. Does this explain why Macky Sall’s regime did not encourage Transair’s activities too much? However, it will be up to the government to show uncompromising determination to apportion blame for this accident, and to take all necessary steps to ensure that Air Senegal does not continue to be a sinkhole for billions.

Post scriptum: Bravo to Diomaye and Sonko for not persisting in error
Government authorities were quick to take the measure of the damage that could be caused by the measure initially announced on April 28, 2024 by architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa, to unilaterally suspend construction work on Dakar’s Corniche. In the end, the Diomaye-Sonko tandem authorized developers and other property owners to continue their work. They are to be congratulated on their humility, and encouraged to be more vigilant when it comes to advice that may appear to be disinterested, but which could smack of conflicts of interest or petty settling of scores. In fact, one of the largest real estate developers affected by the suspension of works confided to us his astonishment at this brutal measure, after someone close to the new regime was unable to force him to award him a contract to monitor his construction sites.

By Madiambal DIAGNE / mdiagne@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH