Senegal Opens New Dakar International Airport

Senegal has officially opened its new flagship airport seven years later than originally planned, with the plans to make it a west African regional hub with a capacity for 3 million passengers.President Macky Sall cut the ribbon at Blaise Diagne International Airport Thursday afternoon while a plane from new airline Air Senegal made the first symbolic takeoff.Located in the town of Diass, 47 kilometres from the capital of Dakar, Blaise Diagne International Airport is named after the Senegalese MP who was the first African elected to France’s parliament.Work began in 2007 on the $767 million airport under former president Abdoulaye Wade, but was delayed following a disagreement with the original contractor, Saudi Arabia’s Bin Laden construction.