Air Sénégal generated substantial public attention on September 7, 2026, when it staged a high-profile arrival ceremony at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar to showcase a purportedly newly acquired in-house Boeing 737-800. The event was held before state leadership and prominent dignitaries, including Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, Minister of Land and Air Transport Abdoul Ahad Ndiaye, and visiting government officials from Gabon. President Faye formally named the aircraft Gorée, paying homage to the historic island and UNESCO World Heritage site off the coast of Dakar. Air Sénégal leadership, led by Chief Executive Officer Tidiane Ndiaye, framed the aircraft as the airline’s very first acquired 737-800, emphasizing that the transaction was fully financed and managed by the Senegalese government to demonstrate state confidence in the flag carrier’s long-term network growth and fleet sovereignty.
However, tracking data and aviation industry fleet registries quickly contradicted the official narrative, revealing that the twin-jet was neither newly built nor a new asset addition to the carrier’s operations. The aircraft is registered as LY-SEI, carrying manufacturer serial number 32692, and is a 19-year-old Boeing 737-800 owned by leasing company AerCap and dry leased to Lithuania-based charter operator GetJet Airlines. In reality, Air Sénégal had already been wet leasing and flying the very same aircraft from GetJet Airlines since May 30, 2026. Rather than being a newly delivered asset, the airliner had simply been ferried to Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca on August 31, 2026, to undergo exterior repainting before flying back into Dakar for the ceremony.
The aircraft emerged from Morocco bearing promotional livery and branding for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which Senegal is preparing to host between October 31 and November 13, 2026. The 174-seat aircraft, configured with 12 business class seats and 162 economy seats, had its fresh Olympic scheme presented as a flagship domestic milestone.
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