Air France Suspends Flights To Burkina Faso, Mali

• Air France suspends flights to Burkina Faso and Mali due to Niger’s airspace closure until August 11
• Closure increases flight distances, adding fuel and time for flights between Europe and southern Africa

After Niger’s junta closed its airspace on Sunday, Air France suspended flights to and from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Bamako in Mali until August 11, with longer flight times expected in the West African region.

According to Reuters, the company announced on Monday.

This comes a day after Niger’s military rulers declared the country’s airspace closed due to a “threat of intervention.”

The closure of Niger’s airspace dramatically widens the area over which most commercial flights between Europe and southern Africa cannot fly,” FlightRadar24, a flight tracking service, said in a blog post.

Flights must already take a detour of sorts around Libya and Sudan.

With Niger’s airspace now off limits as well, airlines flying between Europe and southern Africa will need to reroute and add 1000 or more extra kilometers to their flights, increasing the amount of fuel each flight will need and the flight time.

An Air France spokesperson stated that the airline expected longer flight times from sub-Saharan hub airports and that non-stop flights between Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Accra in Ghana were planned.

According to Reuters, a spokesperson for Brussels Airlines added that rerouted flights may take an hour and a half to three and a half hours longer and may include a fuel stop.

FG withdraws contempt suit against NLC, TUC

The Federal Government on Monday discontinued its contempt suit against Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and their leaders.

The withdrawal of the charge against organised labour is coming four days before the expiration of the ultimatum given to the government by the NLC to rescind the contempt summons or face an indefinite nationwide strike.

The notice of discontinuation of the suit was contained in a letter to Messrs Falana & Falana’ Chambers, Counsel, to NLC, from Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs B.E. Jeddy-Agba.