Fuel shortage in Mali causes flight cancellations and disruptions

PHOTO FROM THE INQUIRER FILE

Dakar, Senegal — A fuel shortage at Mali’s main international airport led to flight cancellations and disruptions Wednesday, according to several airlines.

The West African country’s civil aviation agency has asked the regional air traffic control agency (ASECNA) to inform airspace users of the “unavailability of Jet A1 fuel” at Modibo-Keita International Airport in Bamako, the capital, from Tuesday until July 15, in an official document seen by AFP.

Jet A1 is a kerosene-type fuel widely used in civil aviation.

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AFP was unable to obtain any official information from the Malian Civil Aviation Agency or the airport on the causes of this shortage.

Mali has been plunged into a deep political, security and economic crisis since 2012, which has had serious repercussions on supplies. The West African country has been ruled by a military junta since successive coups in 2020 and 2021.

The national airline Sky Mali announced to AFP that it had cancelled its flights from Bamako to Kayes (west) on Wednesday, as well as its Bamako-Timbuktu route.

The company has not commented on its flights scheduled for this weekend.

Turkish Airlines has cancelled several flights, including the one from Istanbul to Bamako scheduled for Wednesday. Ethiopian Airlines has also brought forward its Dakar-Bamako flight scheduled for Wednesday morning.

All airlines have mentioned in their advisories a “shortage” or “unavailability” of fuel in Bamako.