Senegal Airlines (Dakar Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International) is in the process of finalizing its selection for a new strategic partner following reports the government-backed carrier is once again teetering on the brink of collapse.
"We are looking for a strategic partner who could take a stake in the capital, whether it is South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), Air France (AF, Paris CDG) or Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International)," Senegalese President Macky Sall told Reuters earlier this month. "So far, we have not decided who will be our partner, but that should come very soon."
Given the president's remarks, it is unlikely Dakar will further pursue a proposal from Mali, Mauritania and Niger to join their nascent regional-bloc carrier, Sahel Airlines (Niamey).
Bogged down with over XAF8.3billion (USD17.5million) in debts, the Senegalese national carrier has now returned two of its three A320-200s to lessor GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) in an attempt to improve the airline's marketability to foreign investors. A recent government bid to offload a majority stake in the airline to a consortium of local Senegalese banks failed when the latter baulked at costs incurred from the leases.
