Air Sierra Leone, a new private airline, will begin operations on December 2, 2024. The Minister of Transportation and Aviation, Alhaji Fanday Turay, announced this during an unveiling ceremony at NewBrookfields Hotel, on the 12th October 2024.
The airline will serve several destinations, including Abidjan, Accra, Monrovia, Banjul, Dakar, and Conakry. It will also offer flights to Gatwick Airport in London three times a week.
Proudly Sierra Leone
Air Sierra Leone will carry the name and culture of Sierra Leone high as it will feature local cuisine on board. Passengers can enjoy popular dishes like cassava leaves and rice, promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Sierra Leone’s aviation industry is making significant regulatory progress. The country has opened its flight registration system and offers an Air Operating Certificate. These efforts aim to remove Sierra Leone from the European Blacklist, where it has been since 2008.
Sierra Leone Airways, the country’s first airline, was launched in 1958, however many attempts to establish a sustainable national carrier have failed. On December 11 2015, Fly Salone launched its first flight but ceased operations on the 17th March 2016 due to financial difficulties.
The launch of Air Sierra Leone is a critical step in transforming the nation’s aviation industry.
Jobs Creation For Sierra Leoneans
This venture by the Ministry Of Transportation and Aviation aims to boost the local economy by creating jobs for Sierra Leoneans. Roles ranging from air stewardesses to administrative positions in Freetown will be available.
“ASL is poised to enhance Sierra Leone’s global connectivity, stimulate economic development, and create a sense of national pride”, said Turay on X.
About Air Sierra Leone
Air Sierra Leone is led by a Nigerian businessman Emmanuel Iza as the Chief Executive Officer, with technical support from Xejet Limited in Nigeria.
The airline’s fleet will feature three seating configurations: 50, 149, and 189 seats. It will provide thrice-weekly flights from Freetown to London. Tickets prices for this route will start at $999, with a promotional offer of $750 for early buyers.
In a post on X, Turay described the launch as a major step forward for Sierra Leone’s aviation industry. He emphasized that Air Sierra Leone is a private entity, not a national carrier. It will operate under a UK Air Operating Certificate (AOC) while working to obtain a Sierra Leone AOC.
Departures from Freetown will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:40 AM. Return flights from Gatwick will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:00 PM.