Air Sénégal suspends all Dakar-Paris cabin crew amid parcel-carrying probe

Entire cabin crew removed from Dakar-Paris route

Air Sénégal has taken the drastic step of grounding every flight attendant assigned to its Dakar-Paris service. The blanket suspension, effective since September 17, is intended to allow an internal investigation to determine who was responsible for what the airline considers a serious breach of protocol.

Allegations of paid parcel transport

The airline’s action follows suspicions that crew members were carrying merchandise for payment. In practice, this means some staff allegedly accepted goods on board in exchange for a fee per kilogram — a practice known in the industry as “GP,” which Air Sénégal prohibits and links to illicit cargo trafficking. The company has not disclosed what the parcels contained.

Georgian carrier fills the gap

To keep the Dakar-Paris link running, Air Sénégal has turned to MyWay, a private Georgian airline, which is now operating the route with its own aircraft and crew on behalf of the Senegalese carrier.

Financial strain and service criticism

The incident comes at a delicate moment for Air Sénégal, which has faced repeated criticism over service quality and is grappling with severe financial difficulties. Several of its aircraft have been seized, and the Dakar-Paris connection is currently maintained by a Boeing rented from MyWay.

By Élise Ntamag — Regional policy