Part of the worldwide terminal at Dulles Worldwide Airport remodeled from a easy ready house to a festive space, as United Airways ready for an inaugural flight from Northern Virginia to Senegal.
Many individuals wearing African garb for the celebratory, like Shontel Mason, a undertaking supervisor who resides in Alexandria, Virginia.
“I all the time wished to go to Africa,” Mason, 54, instructed The Informer, as she waved a small Senegalese flag. “I’ve been speaking about taking the journey to the continent for years and a buddy lastly satisfied me to go, so I made a decision to make the leap. A buddy and I seemed for flights to Africa and we noticed this United Airways flight from Dulles to Dakar, Senegal and we instantly booked it. I believe we hit the jackpot.”
Mason was joined by dozens of fellow passengers, United Airways employees and airport workers for the launch of the primary direct flight from the airport to Blaise Diagne Worldwide Airport in Diass, Senegal, 27 miles from Dakar’s downtown district.
United officers say it’s the solely nonstop connection from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan space to Dakar, a indisputable fact that got here as a pleasing plus for Mason.
“It is a nice thought for United to do that,” she mentioned. “A buddy of mine who works for USAID and who travels to Africa fairly often really useful Senegal.”
Particulars of the Dulles to Dakar United Airways Service
United will fly 3 times per week from Dulles to Dakar utilizing a Boeing 767-300ER plane. Firm officers say that it’s the airline’s shortest African route however its fourth vacation spot on the continent, with flights already to: Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Cape City, South Africa.
In its evaluation, the U.S. Division of Commerce’s Nationwide Journey and Tourism Workplace mentioned Senegal is among the many politically steady and economically increasing international locations in West Africa. Moreover, the Washington metropolitan space has a lot of individuals of Senegalese descent, United officers say.
“There’s a large Senegalese neighborhood within the D.C. space,” mentioned Adaja Fall, the lead flight attendant, a local of Senegal who lives in Alexandria. “This fashion, they will hop on United and go dwelling.”
Isidor Marcel Sene, minister-counsellor for the Embassy of Senegal additionally touted the advantage of the brand new route from the D.C. space to Dakar.
“This route makes it straightforward for us now,” mentioned. “We have now no have to undergo New York with a purpose to go dwelling.”
Patrick Quayle, United’s vice chairman of worldwide planning, mentioned his airline will look to increase to different locations within the Dulles worldwide terminal.
Additional, Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, echoed Quayle’s growth hopes by noting the development of one other worldwide terminal at Dulles and expressed optimism in regards to the Dulles-Dakar route.
“We hope this goes from 3 times per week to day by day,” mentioned Potter.
Reflections on Dulles-Dakar Connection
Sene mentioned the route shall be a profit to Senegal.
“There shall be extra enterprise journeys, extra household holidays and extra private adventures for guests,” he mentioned. “Senegal is a steady nation, and it’s enticing to enterprise buyers. The seashores are nice, the persons are nice, and we respect one another. We invite you to go to Senegal.”
Fall, 49, felt honored to be on the flight and mentioned she notably appears to be like ahead to seeing her sister within the Dakar space.
“I’ve not seen her since COVID,” she instructed The Informer.
For pilot Babacar Faye, a primary officer for United Airways, the journey is a homecoming.
Faye, 48, mentioned he was humbled to be part of the inaugural flight.
“Phrases can not clarify how I really feel,” he mentioned. “I really feel grateful to be part of this. I’ve wished to be a pilot for the reason that age of 5 and I grew up in Dakar.”
Faye, who resides in Lake Wiley, South Carolina, and commutes to Dulles to pilot airplanes, mentioned the Dulles-Dakar connection is significant as a result of it “ties the capital of the U.S. to the capital of Senegal.”
“For the airline to hyperlink, the place the president of america sits to my nation, could be very important,” he emphasised.
