Air France cancels flights to Mali, Burkina Faso after Niger airspace closure
Flights from and to Bamako and Ouagadougou, the capital cities of Mali and Burkina Faso, respectively, have been halted by Air France until August 11.
The airline business revealed this on Monday after the junta in Niger announced that its airspace would be closed, necessitating lengthier travel times across the West African area.
The suspension adds to the list of African airspace affected by geopolitical disruptions, which already includes Libya and Sudan. Some planes may now face diversions of up to 1,000 kilometres (620 miles).
“The closure of Niger’s airspace dramatically widens the area over which most commercial flights between Europe and southern Africa cannot fly,” tracking service, FlightRadar24 said.
The Air France spokeswoman noted that flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Accra in Ghana were scheduled to run nonstop and that Air France anticipated extended travel durations from sub-Saharan hub hubs.
According to a Brussels Airlines representative, the flight timings for redirected flights may be between one and three and a half hours longer and may involve a fuel stop.
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