With our correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff

In a decisive move that marks a major shift, Air Sénégal took action on September 17: the entire cabin crew assigned to the Dakar-Paris route was suspended. The measure, confirmed by a source within the airline, is intended to allow a thorough internal investigation and determine who bears responsibility.

At the heart of the matter are suspicions of transporting parcels for payment. In plain terms, some crew members allegedly agreed to carry merchandise in exchange for a fee per kilogram—a practice commonly known as “GP,” which is prohibited by Air Sénégal and associated with cargo trafficking. The airline has not yet disclosed what was inside the parcels.

Momentum shifts as a Georgian crew and aircraft take over the route

Since that date, the flight crew of the private Georgian company MyWay has been operating the Dakar-Paris service, using one of its own aircraft on behalf of Air Sénégal.

This incident is a setback for an airline that is regularly criticized for the quality of its service. It also faces severe financial difficulties: several of its planes have been seized, and it is a Boeing from MyWay, leased by the company, that currently operates the link between the French and Senegalese capitals.