Air France’s planned return to Bamako, the capital of Mali, following a two-month suspension is now uncertain. The French airline initially announced its intention to resume service to Bamako starting on October 13, 2023. However, amid ongoing political tensions and additional requests from the Malian authorities, the airline has postponed the resumption until further notice.

Suspension and Planned Return

Air France suspended its flights to Bamako in August, a move prompted by the military coup in neighboring Niger and its subsequent closure of Nigerien airspace. The airline had also suspended flights to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and Niamey, the capital of Niger, due to these developments. While Nigerien airspace has since reopened, Air France has not resumed services to Niamey.

The situation in Mali further complicated matters. The Malian government, allied with the Nigerien putschists, canceled Air France’s authorization to serve Bamako during the summer and threatened to allocate the airline’s slots to another requesting carrier.

Planned Resumption Delayed

Despite initially planning to restart flights to Bamako on October 13 with three weekly direct flights, Air France has been met with backlash from Malian authorities. The Malian Ministry of Transport issued a press release, announcing that Air France’s request to resume service is under examination by national aeronautical authorities, and “Air France flights remain suspended during this examination procedure.”

The airline subsequently confirmed the delay in its plans to resume service to Bamako, citing “additional requests from the Malian authorities.” The return to Mali is now on hold, with no confirmed resumption date.

Featured image: Flickr (Olivier Hoarau)