Mali: Authorities cancel authorization to resume Air France flights
Mali has reversed its decision to allow Air France flights to the capital. Indeed, Air France flights will finally not resume on Friday, October 13, 2023.The Malian transitional authorities announced on Wednesday that the resumption of Air France flights was finally not acted upon, «consequently Air France flights remain suspended…».
The Malian Ministry of Transport’s press release does not mention any turnaround or flip-flop, but «reiterates its commitment to defend Mali’s sovereignty».
On Tuesday, however, Air France indicated that the resumption of its flights was «in coordination with the Malian authorities», and announced three weekly flights from Friday, October 13, as part of a partnership with the Portuguese company Euro Atlantic Airways.
It is obvious that if the decision was made unilaterally by Paris, it would be categorically refused.
Air France, for its part, soberly confirmed «additional requests» from the Malian transitional authorities and specified that the resumption of its flights to Bamako was therefore «postponed until further notice».
Air France flights had been suspended since August 7. In its statement, the Malian Ministry of Transport recalls that the suspension of flights of the French company, had been taken unilaterally.
