particularly large geographical area. How does your day-to-day work with your partners unfold? And how do you manage to oversee a region that includes the Middle East, which is marked by a complex geopolitical context? Mommar Cissé: It’s not easy. Fortunately, we have the support of the entire APG team and Sandrine de Saint Sauveur, who has excellent relationships with all our contacts. In the Middle East, we are fortunate to work with highly experienced professionals who know their business inside out. Together, we do our best to manage different situations, whether in Israel or elsewhere in the region. There is a real sense of solidarity between us. Jean-Emmanuel Hay: What is your vision for the APG network today? Mommar Cissé: We work in a spirit of conviviality, both with our partners and with airlines and trade players. Our goal is to instil a culture of solidarity and support, so that everyone can learn, evolve and develop. In my opinion, this is what guarantees the sustainability of our activities. This spirit is truly unique to APG. Jean-Emmanuel Hay: Do you have a memorable anecdote to share, an event that particularly touched you at APG? Mommar Cissé: I was recently appointed Regional Vice-President of APG for Africa and the Middle East. I remember one particular moment: we were gathered with the team, in the middle of a discussion, when Ibra Wane turned to me and addressed me as ‘Boss’. Everyone was surprised. He then smiled and announced my official appointment as Vice-President. It was a powerful
moment, symbolising the solidarity that reigns within the group. At APG, commitment, determination and hard work are always rewarded. This collective and personal recognition is fantastic, because everyone can flourish in such an environment. Jean-Emmanuel Hay: Do you remember your very first flight, the first time you flew? Mommar Cissé: Yes, I remember it perfectly. I wasn’t working in aviation yet. I had just finished my studies and was working in telecommunications. I decided to take a holiday and discover Paris. I travelled with Air Afrique on both the outward and return journeys, and I was actually on the company’s last flight. I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about flying itself, but I was very happy to be able to see some of my family living in France again. That was the main reason why this trip was so important to me, as well as discovering France and Paris, which we had heard so much about at school. Jean-Emmanuel Hay: Do you remember any particularly memorable flights or aviation events? Mommar Cissé: Yes, several in fact. I particularly remember a very long flight I took between Dakar and Hong Kong, via Johannesburg, when I was promoting that destination. It was the first time I had ever taken such a long journey. Another memorable moment was the day I received an Embraer 195 from Brazil in Dakar. I was the first to see it and enter the cockpit during its technical stopover in Dakar before its departure for Lagos. That moment remains etched in my memory.
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BORN TO BE A BIRD BY CLASS & RELAX
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