Thursday, July 25, 2013

► SENEGAL: Senegal Airlines operating a CemAir CRJ100 as grounded A320 causes headaches.

Senegal AirlinesSenegal Airlines (DN) has, since earlier in the year, replaced an ATR72-200, (MCN 460 | ZS-XCB), wet-leased from Solenta Aviation, with a CRJ-100, (MCN 7338 | ZS-CRJ), wet-leased from fellow South African operator, Lanseria-based CemAir. 

Cemair's CRJ100 in Ziguinchor in April
(natimo51)
The Regional Jet is used to service the airline's sole domestic route to Ziguinchor and regional West African routes. 

The Senegalese national carrier had also leased, until recently, a Mauritania Airlines International (L6) 737-500 (MSN 28469 | 5T-CLA) over the last two months to replace one of its three A320-200s, (MCN 879 | 6V-AII), currently stored in Dakar awaiting maintenance. It is understood that the Airbus cannot be returned owing to the terms of its lease with GECAS. 

A prior attempt to lease a McDonnell Douglas MD83 from an undisclosed operator was reportedly rebuffed by the Senegalese civil aviation authority (l'Agence Nationale de l'Aviation Civile et de la Météorologie - ANACIM) who claimed the aircraft to be "too old" (32 years old) and consequently did not issue it an airworthiness certificate.