Niger’s military leadership has officially reactivated the nation’s airspace for all commercial flights after the airspace was closed on August 6th following their seizure of power in a coup, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the transport ministry on Monday.
The closure had compelled Air France and other European airlines to halt certain flights and divert their routes across the African continent, as landlocked Niger, which is over twice the size of France, typically intersects with numerous flight paths across Africa.
The junta initially shut down Niger’s airspace, citing concerns about potential military intervention from the West African regional bloc. However, they have not immediately provided a rationale for lifting the ban.