Air France (AF, Paris CDG) has again postponed its return to Bamako (Mali), Niamey (Niger), and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), this time until mid-September 2025, the airline's published schedules reveal.
The flights from Paris CDG are now scheduled as follows:
- daily to Bamako starting from September 16 (instead of July 1) using a A350-900;
- 4x weekly to Niamey 4 from September 17 (instead of July 2) with an A330-200; and
- 5x weekly to Ouagadougou from September 17 (instead of July 2) with a B777-200ER.
Flights were due to resume in July 2025 after Air France pulled out of the three destinations in August 2023 due to the closure of Niger's airspace following a military coup and the broader geopolitical instability in the Sahel region. ch-aviation schedules data shows a previously planned return in September 2024 was also postponed.
Niger's military rulers closed their airspace to prevent potential foreign military intervention after the coup, which forced airlines, including Air France, to reroute flights around the region, significantly increasing flight times and fuel costs.
The French government has classified Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso as "red zone" destinations due to safety concerns and advised against travel there. Air France's suspension was seen as a pressure tactic against the military governments in these countries to return to civilian rule. The military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger rejected France's demands, leading to a diplomatic standoff.
ch-aviation has reached out to Air France for comment.
