West African nation Sierra Leone has announced the launch of a private airline, which is planning to start flights to London Gatwick in early December.
The proposed three-times-a-week service by Air Sierra Leone will be the first between the UK and Sierra Leone since British Airways grounded its flights to the capital Freetown during the pandemic.
Air Sierra Leone will be operated by Nigeria-based Xejet Aviaion with the backing of the Sierra Leone Government.
It will operate a fleet of Boeing 737 and Embraer aircraft, with a 189-seat Boeing 737 Max 8 earmarked for the London flights.
In an announcement on Twitter/X, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation Fanday Turay said, initially, the airline will function under a UK Air Operating Certificate ‘while pursuing a SL [Sierra Leone] AOC.
Currently, all airlines certified in Sierra Leone are banned from flying to the EU.
Mr Turay said the launch of Air Sierra Leone on 2 December, with direct flights to London, ‘represents a significant advancement for our country’s aviation industry’.
Over the years, the country has made several attempts to establish a successful national airline, including Sierra National Airlines, which operated from 2004 to 2006 before it ceased trading due to financial difficulties, and Fly Salone, which operated for only a three months from December 2015 before also failing.
Air Sierra Leone is planning to fly to Gatwick on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:40am. The return flights to Freetown will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10pm.
Tickets are understood to be priced at $999, with a promotional offer of $750. More details are expected to be announced at a press conference on Saturday.
Air Sierra Leone is led by a Nigerian businessman Emmanuel Iza as the Chief Executive Officer, with technical support from Xejet in Nigeria.
Sierra Leone is on the West African Atlantic coast, between Guinea and Liberia. It expected to attract more than 140,000 visitors last year, with the UK is second biggest market after the US.
The post New airline to restore direct flights between London and Sierra Leone appeared first on Travel Gossip.
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The proposed three-times-a-week service by Air Sierra Leone will be the first between the UK and Sierra Leone since British Airways grounded its flights to the capital Freetown during the pandemic.
Air Sierra Leone will be operated by Nigeria-based Xejet Aviaion with the backing of the Sierra Leone Government.
It will operate a fleet of Boeing 737 and Embraer aircraft, with a 189-seat Boeing 737 Max 8 earmarked for the London flights.
In an announcement on Twitter/X, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Transport and Aviation Fanday Turay said, initially, the airline will function under a UK Air Operating Certificate ‘while pursuing a SL [Sierra Leone] AOC.
Currently, all airlines certified in Sierra Leone are banned from flying to the EU.
Mr Turay said the launch of Air Sierra Leone on 2 December, with direct flights to London, ‘represents a significant advancement for our country’s aviation industry’.
Over the years, the country has made several attempts to establish a successful national airline, including Sierra National Airlines, which operated from 2004 to 2006 before it ceased trading due to financial difficulties, and Fly Salone, which operated for only a three months from December 2015 before also failing.
Air Sierra Leone is planning to fly to Gatwick on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:40am. The return flights to Freetown will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10pm.
Tickets are understood to be priced at $999, with a promotional offer of $750. More details are expected to be announced at a press conference on Saturday.
Air Sierra Leone is led by a Nigerian businessman Emmanuel Iza as the Chief Executive Officer, with technical support from Xejet in Nigeria.
Sierra Leone is on the West African Atlantic coast, between Guinea and Liberia. It expected to attract more than 140,000 visitors last year, with the UK is second biggest market after the US.
The post New airline to restore direct flights between London and Sierra Leone appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
