The Intriguing New Airline: Air Sierra Leone (Serving London)!
- Konrad Tillman
- Aug 24
- 3 min read
Intro
I’ve long had a deep connection with the African continent, yesterday talking about Somali Airlines and flying airlines all over the continent, such as Air Côte d’Ivoire, Air Senegal, Asky, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian, Air Djibouti, and more…
Well, on today's episode of random things you probably didn’t know: Air Sierra Leone is now operational, and has been for about 8 months now! Let’s get into this fascinating airline and see if it will actually work out.
Air Sierra Leone Details
For starters, here is a little bit of context surrounding Air Sierra Leone:
Air Sierra Leone is a privately owned carrier based in Freetown, Sierra Leone. While it is privately owned, it is also backed by the government in certain regards.
The CEO is Emmanuel Iza, and the COO is Obi Mbanuzu,o who formerly worked for Dana Air, Virgin Nigeria, and Virgin Atlantic.
Back in early 2025, Air Sierra Leone launched its first-ever flight from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, to Lagos, Nigeria. Utilizing a wet-leased ERJ145 from XEJet based out of Nigeria, the airline continues to serve this route 2x weekly.
Now, here is where it gets interesting, because as of June 2025, the airline launched its second route to, wait for it, London. This route is operated by a 737-800, which is leased via Ascend Airways.
So, Why Does Air Sierra Leone Lease Planes?
There is a lot that goes into the airline business, oftentimes, that we overlook as consumers. Not only that, operating aircraft in the region of Africa is even more challenging, as in the case of Sierra Leone, carriers from the country are banned from flying to Europe.
So, how is Air Sierra Leone operating a 737-800 to London? Due to the wet-lease agreement with Ascend Airways, they are able to get around this, as those planes are certified to fly to the United Kingdom. We have often seen these workarounds with many different airlines, especially as they seek the certifications to fly.
Off topic, but it makes me think: could an airline technically operate from Moscow to New York? 🤔
Will This Airline Work Out?
Originally, when I saw the news about this airline coming to fruition, the first thought that came to my head was, ‘Will this airline work out in the long term?’.
Most airlines in Africa, minus Ethiopian, have struggled with markets to Europe and America. I mean, take a look at Air Senegal, which was losing an extraordinary amount of money on the New York route, and also losing money on the Paris route. Additionally, I think there is merit here with the schedule and demand between Freetown and London.
Do I think there is enough demand to fill 360 seats per week in each direction? Probably. However, most fliers (especially high-end) would opt to connect, especially considering that Air Sierra Leone was only able to gain slots at London Gatwick… Also, we get to fleet size, which would have to expand in the long term to offer connecting traffic, especially in Africa, where there isn’t as much point-to-point traffic.
These are just my thoughts, and honestly, I hope this airline works out. No matter where, I love seeing competition as a consumer, as it drives down prices, but especially in Africa, as new airlines seem to be starting up more frequently. Will I fly Air Sierra Leone? Absolutely! Can’t wait to get on board to Lagos in a few months!
Final Thoughts
There is a relatively new carrier in Africa, beginning flights to Lagos in January 2025, and now serving 2x weekly flights from Freetown to London Gatwick. Welcome, Air Sierra Leone. While the privately owned operation certainly has its work cut out for them, with wet-leased planes, a very small fleet, and low demand, they also hold a monopoly on being the only carrier to take you directly from Sierra Leone to the UK. While I'm not entirely convinced they will become profitable, I sure hope they do!
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