United Airlines Launches First-Ever Direct Route Between the U.S. and Senegal
United Airlines, one of the leading carriers in the United States, has announced the launch of a new nonstop route connecting Washington, D.C., to Dakar, Senegal—marking a significant expansion of the airline’s footprint in Africa.
According to Engineering News, the service will operate year-round with three weekly flights using Boeing 767-300 aircraft. This marks United’s first direct connection to Senegal and establishes the airline as the only carrier offering nonstop service between the U.S. and Senegalese capitals.
With this addition, United now serves six destinations across the African continent. The airline already connects Washington, D.C., with Cape Town (South Africa), Accra (Ghana), and Lagos (Nigeria), while also operating flights from New York/Newark to Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Marrakech (Morocco, seasonally).
“We are excited to launch United’s first-ever service from Senegal, further expanding our route network from Africa to the U.S.,” said Patrick Quayle, United Airlines’ Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances. “Travelers from Senegal will benefit from direct access to the U.S. capital and seamless connections to more than 65 destinations across the Americas via our Washington Dulles hub. For U.S. passengers, Dakar offers an ideal gateway to West Africa, known for its beautiful beaches, lush landscapes, and rich cultural heritage.”
Askin Demir, General Director of LAS, the company that manages Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar, welcomed the new route: “The arrival of United Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the U.S., opens up new opportunities for travel between Senegal and the Americas. With three weekly flights to Washington, we are not only enhancing our service offering for travelers to the United States, but also strengthening our connectivity across key markets in West Africa and Europe. This new route will also support tourism development, boosting the leisure travel segment, which represents a significant share of traffic at Dakar Airport.”
United Airlines, the world’s largest carrier by available seat miles, operates from seven hubs across the continental U.S.: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Its global network spans 140 international destinations.
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