Due to a lack of demand, Air Senegal will stop operating on its Central Africa route, which serves Cotonou in Benin, Douala in Cameroon, and Libreville, as of October 30.
“This decision is justified by the poor financial performance of this triangular line since its launch in March 2021,” the airline said in a statement.
The national airline of Senegal reopened in 2016 with goals of dominating the West African market, but due to competition from other regional airlines on congested regional routes, it has had difficulty turning a profit.
The most lucrative international flights to and from West Africa are dominated by major airlines like Air France KLM SA and Turkish Airways.
The coronavirus pandemic, which grounded aircraft and delayed travel, has also made it difficult for regional airlines to recover financially.
Senegal Airlines, the country’s former national airline, ceased operations after incurring enormous debts in less than five years of operation.