United Airlines has recently started offering nonstop flights between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) in Senegal, making it their first route to the West African country. This launch comes just six months after the airline’s introduction of flights to Marrakech, Morocco.

Expanding their presence in Africa, United Airlines now offers more transatlantic connections to and from major hubs. They are currently the only airline operating between Washington and Dakar, providing passengers traveling from Senegal with access to 65 destinations throughout the Americas via United’s Washington hub.

The new flights to the Senegalese capital are operated three times a week on the Boeing 767-300ER, with the inaugural flight taking place on May 23, 2024. The aircraft features 30 United Polaris business suites, 24 Premium Plus seats, and 149 economy seats, including 32 Economy Plus seats. The flights depart from Washington on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 18:30 and arrive in Dakar at 07:00 the following morning. Return flights operate on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Mondays, departing at 09:05 and arriving at 14:05 local time.

Patrick Quayle, United Airlines Senior Vice President of Global Network Planning and Alliances, expressed excitement for the new route, stating, “We are thrilled to launch United’s first service from Senegal, expanding our route network from Africa to the U. S. Passengers from Senegal now have direct access to the U. S. capital and can easily connect to 65 destinations throughout the Americas via our Washington Dulles hub. Additionally, our U. S. customers can take advantage of Dakar’s central location on Africa’s west coastline, making it an ideal gateway to the continent with its beautiful beaches, lush forests, and rich history.

This new route marks United’s expansion into Francophone West Africa, with Dakar as their first destination. This connection will support tourism development and strengthen the leisure market segment, which already contributes significantly to traffic at Dakar Airport. According to U. S. Ambassador to Senegal Michael Raynor, this new service reflects the potential that the U. S. private sector and government see in the region.

United Airlines is the only airline operating between Washington and Dakar, but they join Delta Air Lines in providing flights to Senegal from the U. S. Delta offers three weekly flights from New York-JFK to Dakar using the Boeing 767-300ER with 216 seats. Until September 2024, Air Senegal operated nonstop flights from Dakar to JFK.

This expansion into Dakar is part of United’s unprecedented international growth, which includes the addition of six new destinations and nine new routes across the Atlantic this summer. The airline will now offer over 800 daily flights to 140 international destinations.