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Air transport
AIR SENEGAL INTERNATIONAL wants to explore new niches
It has already been a year. The Senegalese Moroccan company is scoring good points. The head of Royal Air Maroc will soon be in Dakar, to unveil Air Senegal International's new plans.
Air Senegal International (ASI), which began its activities on 22 February last year, is welcoming the head of Royal Air Maroc (RAM) of which ASI is a subsidiary. The visit of Mr Mohamed Berrada, the Managing Director of RAM will be largely dedicated to the presentation of the results of ASI, during a press conference which is due to be held next Thursday, in Dakar. RAM's Managing Director, who holds 51% of ASI's capital, should unveil Air Senegal International's future objectives, which include extending its activities into various sectors, namely flight sectors, hotel business etc., with the main intention being to offer job opportunities to young Senegalese graduates.
This commitment should be looked at with the understanding that the Moroccan company is going through difficulties and has been facing a decline in growth since 2000, as well as a drop in results. The company has also seen its operating expenses increase dramatically, because of the rise in the fuel price and a surge in the dollar. The events of 11 September have worsened this situation, which also sent shockwaves through Arab countries.
It is against this background that Mr Berrada, who is also the Finance Minister of the Cherifian Kingdom, is coming in, in a bid to save the company.
The company is initially relying on its own resources, in an attempt to recover by extending/widening its sphere of activities, in the fields of the hotel business and tourism. It is probably along these lines that it is planning to give a boost to ASI, which currently has a fleet comprising 2 aircraft, a Boeing 737 and a Dash 8 Q 300, and which currently provides connecting flights daily to around 5 African capitals. Since 01 November, the company has also been servicing Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and Cotonou (Benin), in addition to other capitals, such as Bamako, Banjul, Casablanca, Conakry, Las Palmas, Nouakchott, Praia, Bissau and Abidjan.
The company has largely exceeded its predictions. Indeed, it had planned to transport 98,000 passengers in 2001, thanks to its 24 national and 48 international flights, whereas today, it has actually transported 124,000 passengers.
The fact that it was chosen to transport this year's Senegalese pilgrims to the Holy Places of Islam will certainly boost the company's reputation, which seems to be steadily following the dynamic path of diversification and consolidation of its successes.
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