Morocco-Senegal air company makes inaugural flight

The Moroccan-Senegalese joint air company, Air Senegal International (ASI), made Thursday its inaugural flight.

The flight marks the start of the activities of the company, wherein Morocco's carrier, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) holds 51 percent of shares and the Senegalese state holds 49 percent.

The one-hour inaugural flight was made by a Boeing 737-200 in presence of Senegalese Premier, Moustapha Niasse, and visiting advisor to King Mohammed VI, Mohamed Kabbaj.

The new company will service 24 flights in Senegal and 48 international ones weekly. Set up after the privatization of Air Senegal, SNI has a capital of about 109,365.00 dirhams (about $ 10.93 million). It plans to convey 90,000 passengers to 4 destinations in Senegal (Cap Skiring, Tambacounda, Saint Luis and Ziguinchor) and 8 international destinations (Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Las Palmas, Nouakchott, Praia and Casablanca).

A weekly flight will be serviced from Dakar to Casablanca by a Boeing 737-200.

The new company, which hired all the staff of Air Senegal, has a 160-strong personnel. It recruited 60 people recently.