Air Sénégal has recently settled its outstanding debts with Carlyle Aviation, following months of financial strain between the two parties. According to reports from Senegalese media on Sept. 2, 2024, the airline cleared its outstanding payments amounting to $10 million.
The dispute began when Carlyle Aviation, an American aircraft leasing firm, secured a court order to ground four of Air Sénégal’s leased aircraft due to unpaid debts. This order, issued by a U.S. court on Aug. 21, 2024, involved two Airbus A319s and two A321s, which Air Sénégal has been leasing since 2018, as reported by Africa Intelligence.
In response, Air Sénégal quickly dispatched a delegation, including its chairman, General Joseph Diop, and legal director, Dolores Diop, to negotiate directly with the Miami-based lessor. The airline’s newly appointed CEO, Tidiane Ndiaye, who took office just a few weeks prior, was unable to join the talks due to visa issues.
The court order specifically targeted two A319 aircraft (6V-AMA, leased in November 2018, and 6V-AMB, leased in May 2019) and two A321 aircraft (6V-AMC, leased in November 2020, and 6V-AMD, leased in February 2021).
However, the airline’s financial struggles extend beyond these four aircraft. Air Sénégal is reportedly facing payment delays with other financial institutions, such as Bpifrance in France and the UK’s Export Finance. Furthermore, the airline is still awaiting the delivery of five A321neos by 2025, which are part of a revised order initially placed for A220-300s—an acquisition the airline has since abandoned.
Amid these financial difficulties, Air Sénégal has also begun scaling back its operations. On Sept. 19, 2024, the airline will suspend its Dakar-New York route. The final outbound flight from Dakar is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2024, with the last return flight from New York on Sept. 16, 2024, according to Aeroroutes. This route, operated twice a week using an Airbus A340-300 leased from Hi-Fly Malta, will no longer be available for booking after these dates.
In addition to halting flights to the U.S., Air Sénégal has also closed reservations for routes to Cotonou (Benin), Douala (Cameroon), and Libreville (Gabon), further reflecting the operational cutbacks the airline is facing.
