Niger Republic has reopened its airspace on Monday, nearly a month after imposing a ban in response to a military coup in July 2023.
Niger’s military commanders have chosen to reopen the country’s airspace to all commercial aircraft, breaking a closure that had been in effect since August 6th, when they took control of the government in a coup, according to a spokesperson from the transport ministry on Monday.
“The Republic of Niger’s airspace is open to all national and international commercial flights,” said a spokesman for the transport ministry, adding that ground services have also resumed.
It went on to say that Niger’s airspace was still blocked to all operating military flights and others that required prior authorization from the appropriate authorities.
Following the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum, the Economic Community of West African States placed sanctions on Niger, and the bloc threatened military involvement as a last resort if efforts to restore civilian authority failed.
BizWatch Nigeria recalls that the shutdown forced Air France and other European carriers to cancel flights, forcing them to take longer routes around the African continent.
