Flights divert as Niger shut down airspace

Flights from various countries enroute Niger since Sunday evening have had to divert as the country shut down its airspace because of the “threat of intervention.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demanded that Niger restores President Bazoum or risk military action has now expired.

Niger’s military junta has announced the closure of the country’s airspace, expectant of a West African bloc’s threat to carry out a military intervention in the country should ousted President Mohamed Bazoum not be released and reinstated.

As a result, there have been diversions, u-turns, cancellations. Air France have also had to divert flights to Abidjan, Lagos and other African countries.

Niger shut down airspace

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had given the coup leaders until Sunday to reverse their military takeover and restore Bazoum’s rule.

The deadline has now passed, with the junta organizing large shows of support in the capital Niamey in the run-up to its expiration.

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The junta said it was closing Niger’s airspace “for all aircraft until further notice” as of Sunday, citing “the threat of intervention” as its motive.

It warned that any attempt to violate the country’s airspace would be met with an “energetic and immediate response.”

The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a council of generals who have taken power, said it had seen indications of a “pre-deployment in preparation for intervention” by two Central African countries it did not name.

It warned that “any state involved will be considered co-belligerent.”

On July 30, ECOWAS defense chiefs said they had agreed to intervene if the junta did not meet its demands within one week and return the country to normal constitutional order.

On Friday, the bloc’s defense ministers said that they had reached a plan for military action against Niger’s junta.

But on Saturday, the junta, led by Abdourahamane Tchiani, the former head of the presidential guard, continued its move to consolidate power by appointing military insiders to key government positions.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.