Rabat, Morocco - The Moroccan national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has set a deadline for Senegal to prepare plans for the transfer of Air Senegal International
(ASI) to the Senegalese state, RAM said in a communique that was made public on Friday.

RAM holds 51 per cent and Senegal 49 per cent of ASI, the main Senegalese airline, which was created in 2000 with a capital of 10 million euros (13 million dollars).

Senegal's then Air Transport Minister Farba Senghor said in 2007 that Dakar would nationalize the carrier and inject up to 36 million euros into it to solve its financial problems.

Senegal had not, however, made moves towards the planned solution, RAM complained, requesting a "road map" for the transfer to take place by the end of June.

If Dakar did not comply, RAM said, it would withdraw from managing the airline which depends heavily on Moroccan funding.

RAM has been annoyed by Senegal's failure to replace airplanes which were returned to leasing companies, and by the closure of an ASI subsidiary which had been due to get exclusive rights to take Senegalese pilgrims to Mecca. (dpa)