ATLANTA- Delta Air Lines (DL) is expanding its service between Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Dakar, Senegal, and John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, boosting weekly nonstop flights from three to four.
The airline will deploy a Boeing 767-300ER for this route. Delta has a fleet of 41 Boeing 767-300 aircraft and has four different seat configurations.
Delta New York to Dakar Flights
The increased frequency begins on December 2 and continues until January 14, targeting the high-demand winter season.
The new additional flight will operate on Mondays, complementing the existing Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday schedules. This expansion comes after Air Senegal’s withdrawal from the JFK-DSS sector, where it previously offered twice-weekly flights.
Delta’s decision to increase capacity aligns with strong passenger demand on this route. Data from Behramjee Ghadially’s post reveals that over the past year, 48,000 passengers traveled point-to-point between New York City and Dakar, indicating a robust market for direct flights between these destinations.
Recently Delta announced seven new European routes for summer 2025. This includes:
- New York (JFK) to Catania (CTA)
- Atlanta (ATL) to Naples (NAP)
- Boston (BOS) to Milan (MXP)
- Boston (BOS) to Barcelona (BCN)
- Detroit (DTW) to Dublin (DUB)
- Minneapolis (MSP) to Rome (FCO)
- Atlanta (ATL) to Brussels (BRU)
Further, Delta will extend its seasonal service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Papeete (PPT) instead of March 27 to June 7.
Why Air Senegal Exited the US Market?
Air Sénégal suspended its Dakar-New York JFK route on September 15, 2024, marking its indefinite departure from the United States market. This decision comes amid financial struggles, low passenger loads, and overly ambitious expansion plans.
The airline, once aiming to become a leading West African carrier with connections to Europe and North America, is now implementing significant network cuts. These reductions effectively reset Air Sénégal’s operations close to its starting point, despite its attractive livery and modern fleet.
Air Sénégal’s twice-weekly Dakar-New York JFK service is operated using a wet-leased aircraft from Hi Fly due to lacking FAA certification.
Several factors contributed to the route’s unsustainability:
- Extended ground time at JFK, with the aircraft remaining at the costly airport for nearly 17 hours to accommodate connection schedules.
- Lack of anglophone connections to major West African markets like Lagos and Accra.
- Absence of US codeshare agreements, hindering competitiveness against Delta Air Lines on the JFK-DSS route.
- Poor load factors, averaging only 64% between January 2023 and May 2024, according to US Department of Transportation data.
Air Sénégal’s struggles contrast with the performance of other African carriers serving the US market. Airlines like EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, and Royal Air Maroc continue to operate US routes, with Ethiopian Airlines consistently expanding its American network.
Air Sénégal faces severe financial difficulties. Founded in 2016, the airline aimed to rectify its predecessor’s shortcomings and enhance connectivity for Senegal and West Africa. But it has failed to live up to expectations.
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