Air Sénégal has taken ownership of a Boeing 737-800 previously wet-leased from GetJet Airlines, in a government-backed move aimed at reducing reliance on leased capacity. The 19-year-old aircraft, registered LY-SEI and named Gorée, was formally received at Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport and is configured with 174 seats for medium-haul operations.
The aircraft had been flying for Air Sénégal since late May under a wet-lease arrangement, which makes the transaction more complex than initial local reports suggested. Industry reporting indicates the jet remains part of a leasing chain involving AerCap and GetJet, although the Senegalese carrier now treats it as its first Boeing 737-800 in ownership. The aircraft arrived from Casablanca, where it had been based since the end of August, and recently received a Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games-themed livery.
The addition gives Air Sénégal greater fleet autonomy and more flexibility on regional and medium-haul routes. It also fits the carrier’s wider effort to strengthen its network and lower exposure to wet-leased aircraft as it prepares for operational commitments linked to Dakar 2026.