Senegal's national airline suspends several routes

Senegal's national airline on Wednesday announced it will suspend flights to seven destinations from mid-September as part of a "restructured network", as the flag carrier faces criticism over passenger delays.

Air Senegal will halt flights from Dakar to New York from September 19, to Milan, Libreville, Douala in Cameroon and Barcelona from September 20, and to Marseille and Lyon from September 22.

The airline said the move was aimed at "optimising" its network, in a post on its Facebook page.

Senegalese newspaper L'Observateur reported on Monday that a reduction in Ai r Senegal's routes came down to a "rationalisation of resources, the inadequacy of the fleet and the lack of profitability of certain services."

Criticism

It comes as Air Senegal faces criticism with passengers regularly complaining about delays to domestic and international flights.

State-owned Air Senegal began operating in May 2018 after emerging from the April 2016 collapse of Senegal Airlines.

The latter had itself replaced in 2009 Air Senegal International, in which Senegal and Morocco had stakes.

The launch of the carrier's latest incarnation is part of a plan to turn Dakar into a regional air hub around the international airport, inaugurated in December 2017, and revamped provincial airports.

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