Air France will resume serving Mali from Friday October 13, the airline announced on Tuesday, which had suspended this route at the beginning of August in the wake of the putsch in neighboring Niger. “In coordination with the DGAC [Direction générale de l’aviation civile] French and the Malian authorities, Air France will resume service to Bamako from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle from October 13”a company spokesperson told AFP.
Air France suspended its flights to Mali (seven flights per week) and Burkina Faso (five flights per week) on August 7 after the closure of the airspace of neighboring Niger, the scene of a coup d’état on August 7. July 26. “Air France is working in close collaboration with the Burkinabe authorities in order to resume its service to Burkina Faso as quickly as possible. The service to Niamey remains suspended until further notice”, the company added on Tuesday. Service to Bamako from Paris will resume at the rate of “three direct flights per week”, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, according to the same source.
Flights sold by Air France will no longer be operated by company aircraft, but by “a Boeing 777-200 ER from the Portuguese company EuroAtlantic Airways”, specializing in the rental of aircraft to third-party companies, indicated Air France. The company promised that this aircraft meets “in full compliance with French and European regulations” and explained that he was “equipped with 30 seats in the Business cabin, 24 seats in the Premium Economy cabin and 239 in the Economy cabin”. “The services provided on board will be the same as on flights operated by Air France. Customers whose flights are canceled will be rescheduled for maintained flights or will be able to modify the reservation offered to them free of charge.according to the same source.
After the suspension of Paris-Bamako connections by Air France, the Malian authorities decided, on August 11, to cancel the company’s authorization to operate this line. These authorities, whose military leaders showed solidarity with the Nigerien putschists, described the suspension as “notorious breach” under the terms of the operating authorization granted to the company.
Relations between Mali and France, a former colonial power which was engaged militarily alongside the Malian army against the jihadists since 2013, have deteriorated significantly since colonels took power by force in Bamako in August 2020 The junta pushed French forces out in 2022 and turned politically and militarily towards Russia. She expelled the French ambassador.
“Air France constantly monitors the evolution of the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft and reminds that the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority”concluded his spokesperson on Tuesday.