Avec notre correspondante à Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

The decision came on September 17: every flight attendant on the Dakar-Paris route was grounded, pending an internal investigation to determine who was responsible, according to a source within Air Sénégal.

The suspension followed suspicions of transporting parcels for payment. In plain terms, some crew members allegedly agreed to carry merchandise in exchange for a set fee per kilogram — an activity commonly known as “GP,” which Air Sénégal prohibits and which is linked to cargo trafficking. So far, the airline has not disclosed what was inside the packages.

A Georgian crew and aircraft step in to maintain the route

Since that date, the cabin crew of Georgian private carrier MyWay has been operating the Dakar-Paris service on board one of its own planes, on behalf of Air Sénégal.

The incident adds to the airline’s troubles, as it already faces regular criticism over service quality. It is also wrestling with severe financial difficulties: several of its aircraft have been seized, and a Boeing leased from MyWay is now handling the link between the French and Senegalese capitals.