Brussels Airlines vs Senegal Airlines

[sn26567]

Part of a post of tolipanebas in another topic:

On a related note:
as from Sunday, SN will start wetleasing a plane to replace their temporary A319 ops to DKR with and to have a more sustainable way to keep serving DKR while they try to get their 5th freedom rights back and thus reinstate the triangulars. As from next week, we will thus see no less than 6 long haul bound planes at the T gates at BRU!

[airbuske]

On a related note:
as from Sunday, SN will start wetleasing a plane to replace their temporary A319 ops to DKR with and to have a more sustainable way to keep serving DKR while they try to get their 5th freedom rights back and thus reinstate the triangulars. As from next week, we will thus see no less than 6 long haul bound planes at the T gates at BRU!

Maybe it's better to post this in another topic...
Anyway, what equipment will be used for this? A330, B767, B757, A321? Will these de-triangulated routes then be served by a next 'own' A330 when the time is there?

Brussels Airlines will wetlease B767-300 I-AIGJ of Air Italy

[tolipanebas]

Will these de-triangulated routes then be served by a next 'own' A330 when the time is there?

No, the aim is to go back to the triangulars as they were before JAN 5th as soon as possible, meaning depending government approval from Senegal, but is seems this can be a while.

Anyway, I wouldn't mind if this indeed would become a permanent flight (and SN would thus have to seek a 6th A330 sooner than planned), but I fear the loadfactors are not going to great. The reason SN needs a daily widebody to DKR is mainly cargo driven, but who knows, now that the flight is there, they might as well try a more agressive commercial approach to fill the cabin too as much as they can?

if so, then Senegal may just have shot itself in the food by creating more point-to-point competition for their startup new national carrier. Fingers crossed!

[sn-remember]

OK for 5th freedom trafic to/from DKR being suspended
NOK for 'non-stop flights only' policy to/from DKR.
It exists nowhere to my knowledge except perhaps TLV ..
Not a clever policy to attract visibility and tourists ... hope it will be reconsidered.

[ihd-fc]

Just for your info:

For passengers nothing is changing. DKR was direct already before.

BRU-DKR-BJL-DKR-BRU
BRU-DKR-CKY-DKR-BRU
BRU-DKR-FNA-DKR-BRU

Flight were not triang. but vv-flights. So pax to and from DKR were always on direct flight.

The only change is that they will fly with Air Italy.

[Air Key West]

According to Air Italy, their 767s have 241 economy seats, 30-31 inches seat pitch, 8 abreast instead of the more usual 7 seats in one row (isn't 8 abreast with 30-31" seat pitch very cramped seating ?)
12 Business class seats (2 rows of 6) 46" seat pitch
http://flybolognairport.myblog.it/archi ... -e-ro.html
OK, this 767 is an improvement compared to the A319.

[sn-remember]

When I wrote 'non stop only' I should have wrote 'non-stop and terminating only'
It's nonsensical to request that, I mean tag-ons are common practice everywhere in the industry (except perhaps the casde of TLV) why should the Senegalese authorities require that ? It's nonsense.

[joyraider]

LOL, love that interior, they're like flying pizzerias!

[kookongsi]

Has anyone an idea of the loads of the "new" flight to Dakar (on the 767)? When I looked at the booking site of SN on some days the flight is performing not that bad. Maybe the flight to Banjul, Conakry and Freetown is suffering more?

Greetz

[Boeing767copilot]

Senegal Airlines to launch operations tomorrow


http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... orrow.html

[sn26567]

Belgium asks Senegal to authorise Brussels Airlines to serve 3 destinations

Belgium is putting "diplomatic pressure" on the government of Senegal since the latter has ordered Brussels Airlines to stop its flights between Dakar and other destinations in West Africa: Banjul, Conakry and Freetown.

Senegal has just relaunched a national airline, Senegal Airlines, and thus decide to prohibit Brussels Airlines to serve 3 destinations destinations through Dakar, in violation with the air agreement between the two countries. Brussels Airlines has tried to obtain explanations from the Senegalese authorities - including the new minister of Transport, Karim Wade, sun of president Abdoulaye Wade -, but without results. It has been compelled to hire an additional aircraft to serve the other destinations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Steven Vanackere has written to his Senegalese counterpart Madické Niang on 11 January to ask him to implement the bilateral air agreement that gives traffic rights to Brussels Airlines. He intends also to recall the ambassador of Belgium in Senegal for consultation.

[sn26567]

To justify their injunction against Brussels Airlines, Senegalese authorities now claim that Brussels Airlines only had a temporary permit to operate intra-African flights from Dakar after Air Sénégal International stopped its activities. Now that Senegal Airlines is operating new flights out of Dakar, such a permit can no longer be justified.

Meanwhile, the ambassador of Belgium in Dakar has been recalled to Brussels for consultation.

Hopefully he flew Brussels Airlines and not Senegal Airlines....

[RoMax]

To justify their injunction against Brussels Airlines, Senegalese authorities now claim that Brussels Airlines only had a temporary permit to operate intra-African flights from Dakar after Air Sénégal International stopped its activities. Now that Senegal Airlines is operating new flights out of Dakar, such a permit can no longer be justified.

Meanwhile, the ambassador of Belgium in Dakar has been recalled to Brussels for consultation.

Hopefully he flew Brussels Airlines and not Senegal Airlines....

Maybe also good to know, there will be talks between Belgium/SN and Senegal on 2-3 February to find a final solution.

[sn26567]

Not only Brussels Airlines is suffering from the Senegalese policy: Air Mali and Air Burkina are now also prohibited from flying to/from Dakar to other African destinations.

More (in French) from Air Journal

[sn26567]

One of the very first flights of Senegal Airlines already had trouble, as reported in "Crash Aérien":

Un avion de la compagnie sénégalaise Senegal Airlines a été contraint d’interrompre son décollage de l’Aéroport International de Dakar suite à des problèmes techniques au moment du décollage. L’avion, un Airbus A320 immatriculé 6V-AII, vol DN3 qui devait effectuer la liaison entre l’Aéroport international de Dakar et l’Aéroport international de Bamako avec un nombre de passagers qui n’a pas été indiqué, était prêt au décollage à 7H45, heure locale, et était en cours d’alignement lorsque suite à des problèmes techniques dont la nature exacte n’a pas été indiquée, les pilotes ont dû faire demi-tour et revenir aux parkings.

Les passagers ont été débarqués et transférés dans le terminal en attendant que la compagnie aérienne qui ne dispose que de deux appareils, des Airbus 320 puisse les transporter à destination. Le deuxième avion immatriculé 6V-AIH est arrivé de Nouakchott et a pu transporter les passagers en souffrance avec huit heures de retard

"Avec Sabena, vous y seriez déjà" !

[sn26567]

Senegal Airlines launched operations on 25 January and is now the national carrier of Senegal, after the void left by the demise of Air Sénégal International in 2009.

With two 136-seat A320s, previously operated by Spring Airlines and China Eastern Airlines in China, the airline operates regional, international routes out of its Dakar (DKR) base to the capital cities of other West African countries (except in the case of Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast, where Abidjan is the largest city).

The airline partners with Emirates, providing regional feed for the Gulf carrier’s Dubai-Dakar service. All routes launched on 25 January, except Ouagadougou, which began the following day.

Destination / Country / WF / Competition (WF)

Abidjan (ABJ) Ivory Coast 5 Air Ivoire (5), Air Nigeria (3), Kenya Airways (3), Mauritania Airlines International (1)

Bamako (BKO) Mali 12 Air Mali (7), Kenya Airways (4), Ethiopian Airlines (3), Air Burkina (2), Mauritania Airlines International (2)

Banjul (BJL) The Gambia 6 Arik Air (5), Air Nigeria (5)

Conakry (CKY) Guinea 5 Mauritania Airlines International (2)

Nouakchott (NKC) Mauritania 7 Mauritania Airlines International (4)

Ouagadougou (OUA) Burkina Faso 2 Air Burkina (2)

Source: anna.aero

[sn26567]

In Senegal itself, the position of Senegal Airlines and the Government is not approved by everybody. It seems that Senegal Airlines wants to create a market by banning all competition. It started with Brussels Airlines, followed by Air Mali, Air Burkina and Air Maauritanie. Now other competitors are also becoming targets.

An interesting article was published an a Senegalese newspaper (in French). It is worth reading to the end.

http://www.lequotidien.sn/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=54

[FlyA330]

It seems that Senegal Airlines wants to create a market by banning all competition.

....Senegal Airlines is basically doeing the same as Air France in France.

[sn26567]

Delta Air Lines secured local rights between Accra (ACC) in Ghana and the Liberian capital Monrovia (ROB) on 2 February. As of September last year, the airline already flies the route as an add-on to two of its three weekly flights from its main hub in Atlanta. The services operate with 215-seat 767-300 aircraft.

Competition comes from Air Nigeria’s five, Kenya Airways’ three and Arik Air’s two weekly flights. Notably, Ghana has no local airline that operates internationally.

Source: anna.aero

These guys in Ghana and Liberia are much more open than those people in Senegal!
Why not some SN flights with traffic rights between Accra and Monrovia?

[sn26567]

Air Mali has just been allowed to fly again between Dakar and other African nations, after discussions between the governments of Mali and Senegal. Mali had threatened to prohibit the newly created Senegal Airlines to fly between Bamako and other African countries.

Air Burkina and Brussels Airlines are still waiting....

Burkina Faso is now trying to implement the same tactics as Mali, and is likely to succeed. However, for Brussels Airlines, the sky is still dark: Senegal pretends that the air agreement between Senegal and Belgium was only temporary, and that there is no longer an agreement at the present time.