Niger has suspended commercial flights to and from Nigeria, the Air Navigation Security Agency of Africa and Madagascar reported.
The agency stated, in a statement, “The airspace of the Republic of Niger is open to all international and local commercial flights without restrictions, with the exception of commercial flights to and from Nigeria.” According to the French magazine “Jeune Afrique.”
The French magazine indicated that these restrictions imposed by Niger will not affect commercial aircraft flying in Nigeria’s airspace unless they land on its territory.
The Air Navigation Security Agency in Africa and Madagascar stated that Niger’s airspace remains permanently closed to all military, operational and other private flights, noting that this measure has been implemented since August 6, noting that Niger does not allow military or private flights. Except with prior permission from the competent authorities.
The magazine reported that the decision to suspend commercial flights to and from Nigeria came shortly after Niger, as well as Burkina Faso and Mali, withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which is currently headed by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
The ECOWAS group, which condemned the coups in the three aforementioned countries, imposed severe sanctions on Niger a few days after the July 26, 2023 coup in Niamey, and the matter reached the point of threatening the group with military intervention in Niger in order to restore constitutional order.
It is worth noting that the Air Navigation Security Agency in Africa and Madagascar is headquartered in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and its membership includes 18 countries (17 African countries and France). Since 1959, it has been responsible for providing air navigation services in the airspace entrusted to it by its member states, in addition to providing services. Rescue, fight aircraft fires, and disseminate weather information as well as meteorological information necessary for air navigation.
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