West African airlines seal strategic alliance

“It is a source of pride to realise this major partnership for two national flagship airlines belonging to West African countries. This agreement establishes further strong links between Ivory Coast and Senegal,” said Alioune Badara Fall, general director of Air Senegal.

Commercially, customers will benefit from more destinations along with enhanced frequencies and connections - both in the region and internationally - including Europe and North America.

The agreement also links benefits of both airlines’ loyalty programmes.

On the operational side, the agreement provides for a pooling of technical and human resources for flight operations, the purchase of fuel and even MRO. The two companies mainly operate a fleet of Airbus aircraft.

The Senegalese national airline announced in January an increase in flights by almost 50 per cent, resulting in a total of 29 destinations, compared with 20 in 2023 - a commercial expansion made possible through obtaining IOSA certification in August 2023.

Air Côte d'Ivoire has strengthened its fleet from nine to 12 aircraft and the airline’s general director, Laurent Loukou, announced the launch of long-haul flights that will follow the delivery of three Airbus A330-900s.

“Flights to serve Paris are scheduled from December 2024 while other international destinations - such as New York, Brussels, Washington, Beirut and London - will follow by 2027,” said Loukou.