Air France continues to bear the brunt of the political problem of the Francophonie. It all started with the crisis in Niger, which led to the expulsion of the French army and the entry of the Russians, as well as the suspension of several air routes to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
In a press release, the company announced last Thursday that it had extended by an additional week, until September 17 inclusive, the suspension of its flights to and from Mali and Burkina Faso. Flights to Niger remaining stopped “until further notice”.
The situation worsened as the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso showed their solidarity with Niger, making Air France an undesirable company. At present, the political situation in the region is extremely delicate and Air France can only wait for the evolution of the situation in a region which finds itself deprived of one of its most reliable air connections.
The French company, the main airline between Europe and Africa, suspended its flights to Bamako (7 flights per week), Ouagadougou (5 flights per week) and Niamey (4 flights per week) on August 7. after the closure of Niger’s airspace, the scene of a coup d’etat on 26 July. It should be noted that these routes are very profitable.
