Bamako, Mali sees all traffic suspended following coup

Cabo Verde says Icelandic investors have outstanding dues

Air Sénégal inducts first A321

Air Sénégal (HC, Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l) took delivery of its first A321-200 following the arrival of 6V-AMC (msn 1881) at Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l on November 28, 2020, AirNav RadarBox ADS-B data shows.

The 18-year-old narrowbody had been undergoing maintenance at Montpellier following a period of storage dating back to September 2019 when previous operator Thomas Cook Airlines UK (MT, Manchester Int'l) collapsed. It is owned by Carlyle Aviation Partners, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows.

According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Air Senegal plans to debut the A321 on its daily route from Dakar to Conakry on December 21, 2020.

The aircraft will join Air Senegal's existing narrowbody fleet of two A319-100s. The carrier also operates two ATR72-600s, one A330-900 and although it owns the aircraft, it wet-leases a further A330-900 from Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int'l).

Gambia resumes commercial passenger traffic

Several West African and European carriers have resumed commercial flights to Banjul, Gambia, after the airport reopened following a seven-month lockdown because of COVID-19.

According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul New) was the first to return on October 31 with weekly service from Istanbul New, via Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l. Transair (Senegal) (R2, Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l) has also resumed weekly flights from Dakar, while Air Sénégal (HC, Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l) has returned with four flights a week scheduled as of November 1.

Togo’s ASKY Airlines (KP, Lomé) flight KP22 resumed four times weekly from Lomé, Accra, and Freetown and to Banjul on November 5. TUI Airways (BY, London Luton) has come back with weekly flights from London Gatwick and Manchester Int'l, while Spain’s Vueling Airlines (VY, Barcelona El Prat) on November 7 restarts weekly services with flight VY7574 from Barcelona El Prat.

The Gambia currently has no home-grown national...

Nigeria's Air Peace, Air Senegal to enter Southern Africa

Nigeria’s Air Peace (P4, Lagos) and Air Sénégal (HC, Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l) plan to launch flights to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo before the end of 2020.

According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Air Senegal on November 5, 2020, launches a weekly service from Dakar Blaise Diagne Int'l to Johannesburg, with stops in Bamako, Mali, and Libreville, Gabon. Southbound flights leave on Thursday and return the next day.

Meanwhile, Air Peace has announced plans for three weekly services between Lagos and Johannesburg before year-end. This would be its first return to South Africa since it repatriated 503 Nigerians from that country following incidences of xenophobia in 2019.

Spokesperson Stanley Olisa in a statement said Air Peace had been designated on the route and had made progress in meeting “stipulated requirements of aviation authorities” in both countries for scheduled services.

He said South Africa has been on the airline’s radar for some time as it reviewed its route network and looked for strategic expansions in line with its...