Air France has extended “until August 18 inclusive” the suspension of its flights to and from Bamako and Ouagadougou “due to the coup in Niger and the geopolitical situation in the Sahel region,” the company learned on Friday. . .
The airline announced on Monday the suspension of its flights to Mali and Burkina Faso until and including Friday, shortly after the closure of neighboring Niger’s airspace.
Long flight times due to wide detours to reach Europe
The Malian and Burkinabe authorities supported the perpetrators of the July 26 coup in Niger. The West African countries of ECOWAS gave the green light on Thursday to the use of force to restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, without excluding, however, diplomatic means to resolve the crisis.
The closure of Niger’s airspace is forcing companies to make large detours to reach Europe, lengthening flight times. Air France says that it is “in contact with the French authorities” to “permanently follow the evolution of the geopolitical situation of the territories served and overflown by its aircraft” and recalls that the safety of its customers and their crews is its absolute priority.
Source: BFM TV
