Sky Mali inaugurates its first international route with a Bamako-Kayes-Dakar
Sky Mali started commercial operations on 29 September 2020. The private company, 100% owned by Emirati private individuals through Al Sayegh Group (ASG), aims to build a strong sub-regional network.
Until August, the carrier plans to gradually expand its network to Abidjan, Cotonou, Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. Other new routes are envisaged by the end of the year. On the domestic front, in addition to Kaye, Sky Mali also serves Gao and Timbuktu from Bamako, its operational base.
To support its growth plan, the company introduced a Boeing 737-400 (msn 24558, leased from YanAir) last May. This is in addition to the Boeing 737-500 and the Embraer ERJ-145 that made up its initial fleet.
Interviewed by Air Actu last February, Tahir Ndiaye, Sky Mali's general manager, revealed that the company is considering acquiring turboprops. "We have initially opted to lease two ERJ 145s which will serve the domestic network and the immediate vicinity. But this is not a definitive option," explains the former Senegalese executive of Air Afrique, "We must be pragmatic, observe the new trends resulting from the post-Covid configuration, and continue to adjust the aircraft-network-traffic triptych. We are thinking of the ATR 72 and other brand new aircraft for performance reasons," he adds.
