BMED to fly three times a week from London to Freetown

BMED, the independent franchise partner of British Airways, has today expanded its network to West Africa with the introduction of new services to Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Dakar, Senegal.

They are the only all scheduled services providing direct links between the UK and the two countries and will bring BMED’s overall network coverage to 17 destinations in the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe and Africa.

Flights to Freetown and Dakar have been introduced from BMED’s London Heathrow hub on 30th October 2006. The route is being served initially by three flights a week using BMED’s 149-seat Airbus A321, offering a choice of Club World and World Traveller cabins.

Travelling on the first flight to mark the launch of services to Dakar and Freetown was the airline’s Chairman, Lord Hesketh, accompanied by a delegation from the Sierra Leone High Commission in London and a team of senior BMED personnel.

Lord Hesketh said:

“The introduction of services to West Africa marks an important phase in our current programme of progressive business expansion.  We have identified a clear need for direct air links with Freetown and Dakar and we feel that these destinations are ideally suited to our fleet and the style of service BMED offers.  We see good prospects for sustainable growth in these emerging markets.”

As a British Airways franchise partner, BMED aircraft carry the British Airways livery and operate with BA flight numbers, delivering services to BA standards and specifications.

The new routes to Dakar and Freetown bring British Airways branded services to this part of West Africa for the first time since British Airways discontinued its own operation in the early 1990s.

BMED’s latest expansion follows the launch of the airline’s new service between London and Ankara, Turkey in March this year.