Algeria's state-run airline company Air Algerie has planned to launch new destinations in Nigeria and South Africa in a bid to expand operation in Africa.

Air Algerie CEO Mohamed Saleh Boultif told reporters on Tuesday that his company, which used to be a pioneer in sailing in Africa, is aiming to develop once more its activities on the continent.

The company focuses on developing transit traffic, which is very popular in Africa, by creating a hub here at the International Airport of Houari Boumedien, he added.

It has increased flights to and from some African destinations since the beginning of the year, the CEO said. Flights from Senegal's capital Dakar, for example, increased from two to five a week.

Meanwhile, Air Algerie is likely to suspend its Algiers-Beijing line due to low profitability and fierce competition from other air companies, Boultif noted.

However, it is studying possibilities of opening new lines to other Chinese cities, including Shanghai, he added.

As for the Algiers-New York City line, he said it would depend on the sealing of the open sky agreement between Algeria and the United States.

Air Algerie covers a network of 96,400 km, with an average of 3 million passengers and some 20,000 tonnes of freights being transported every year.

Its international network serves 45 cities, mainly in Europe, the Middle East, the Maghreb, West Africa, Asia, North America, in addition to a domestic network linking 31 cities.