Niger reopens airspace to all commercial flights after coup

Niger’s military leaders have decided to reopen the country’s airspace to all commercial flights, ending a closure that had been in place since August 6th when they took control of the government in a Coup, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the transport ministry on Monday.

According to Reuters, the closure had led to the suspension of flights by Air France and other European carriers, which were compelled to take longer routes around the African continent.

Read also: Niger coup: Tinubu in meeting with Touray, Abubakar, Ribadu

Niger, a landlocked nation, boasts a vast expanse, more than twice the size of France, and is situated along several key flight paths across Africa.

Initially, the junta had closed Niger’s airspace, citing concerns about potential military intervention from the West African regional bloc. However, they did not immediately provide an explanation for their decision to lift the ban.