# Blaise Diagne International Airport

Blaise Diagne International Airport (French: Aéroport international Blaise-Diagne), (IATA: DSS, ICAO: GOBD) is an international airport near the town of Diass in Thiès Region, Senegal, 43 km (27 mi) east of downtown Dakar. It serves as the main airport for Dakar, replacing Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport, which had become too small. It is named after Blaise Diagne, the first black African elected to France's parliament in 1914. Regular flights are operated to destinations across many parts of Africa, as well as to Europe, Macaronesia, the Middle East, and the United States.

## History

The airport was originally expected to be operational at the end of the year 2011, but this date was pushed back by almost a year in September of that year. In September 2012, Senegalese Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye announced that the airport would open in the first quarter of 2014. In January 2015, word spread that the airport would open in June 2015. On April 4, 2015 Reuters announced a new opening date for early 2016.
The expected building costs rose to 566 million euros, with over 400 million coming from the Saudi Binladin Group.
The airport finally opened for scheduled operations on December 7, 2017.

## Airlines and destinations
### Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Dakar Blaise Diagne Airport:
| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air Algérie | Algiers |
| Air Burkina | Bamako, Ouagadougou |
| Air Côte d'Ivoire | Abidjan |
| Air France | Paris–Charles de Gaulle |
| Air Senegal | Abidjan, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Cap Skirring, Casablanca, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Praia, Sal, Ziguinchor Seasonal: Jeddah |
| ASKY Airlines | Bissau, Lomé, Praia |
| Binter Canarias | Gran Canaria |
| Brussels Airlines | Banjul, Brussels |
| Delta Air Lines | New York–JFK |
| Emirates | Dubai–International |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Addis Ababa, Bamako |
| Iberia | Madrid |
| ITA Airways | Rome–Fiumicino |
| Kenya Airways | Abidjan, Accra, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta |
| Luxair | Seasonal: Luxembourg |
| Mauritania Airlines | Abidjan, Bamako, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott |
| Neos | Bergamo, Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino Seasonal: Verona |
| Royal Air Maroc | Casablanca |
| Smartwings | Seasonal charter: Prague |
| TAP Air Portugal | Lisbon |
| Transair | Banjul, Bissau, Cap Skirring, Conakry, Freetown, Kolda, Praia, Ziguinchor Charter: Kédougou, Tambacounda |
| Transavia | Marseille, Nantes Seasonal: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse |
| TUI Airways | Seasonal: London–Gatwick |
| TUI fly Belgium | Brussels |
| TUI fly Deutschland | Düsseldorf |
| TUI fly Netherlands | Seasonal: Amsterdam |
| Tunisair | Conakry, Tunis |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul |
| United Airlines | Washington–Dulles (begins 23 May 2025) |
| Vueling | Barcelona |

### Cargo

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air France Cargo | Paris–Charles de Gaulle |
| DHL Aviation | Brussels, Casablanca |
| Magma Aviation | Clermont–Ferrand |

## Statistics

In 2022, the airport handled 2,629,348 passengers, a 5.53% increase compared to 2019.

## Ground transportation

The Train Express Regional Dakar-AIBD is a rail-link between the airport and Dakar. The first phase, linking downtown Dakar and Diamniadio, opened on 14 January 2019. As of January 2023, the rails and station that will serve the airport are under construction.

## Accidents and incidents

* On May 9, 2024, a Boeing 737-300 aircraft (registered as 6V-AJE) operated by Transair (Senegal) on behalf of Air Sénégal partially caught fire and was damaged after overrunning the runway during a rejected takeoff for Bamako. Of the 85 people on board, 10 occupants were injured. The aircraft was also written off.