Aviation

Air France suspends flights to Burkina Faso, Mali as Niger closes airspace

Published

3 years ago

on

August 7, 2023

By

Sunday Odibashi

Air France suspends flights to B'Faso, Mali

Air France on Monday announced the suspension of flights to and fro Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and Bamako, Mali, till August 11, as the military regime in Niger in Niger Republic closed the country’s airspace on Sunday.

The regime in Niger had closed the airspace against external aggression as the ECOWAS 7-day ultimatum elapsed on Sunday midnight.

Tension has continued to intensify in Niger Republic in the past 12 hours.

Related Topics:Air France Burkina Faso Mali Niger Republic

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Rising Tensions Between Regulators and Airlines The financial strain has coincided with renewed friction between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), following disputes over the remittance of statutory charges and the delivery of regulatory services. Operators say the situation reflects deeper systemic liquidity stress across the sector, where airlines are increasingly unable to meet overlapping obligations imposed by aviation agencies while maintaining operational stability. A Layered and Fragmented Tax System At the centre of industry complaints is what operators describe as a “multi-layered and excessive” taxation structure involving the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Airlines such as Air Peace, Ibom Air, and United Nigeria Airlines are subject to a range of compulsory charges, including the 5% ticket levy, passenger service charges, value-added tax on tickets and aviation inputs, and other operational deductions collected at different stages of the value chain. Industry players argue that the system creates cash flow distortions because several charges are collected upfront or deducted at source, leaving airlines with reduced working capital for day-to-day operations. Beyond ticket-based deductions, carriers also face landing fees, parking charges, overflight fees, navigation levies, and ground handling costs. Combined with jet fuel, which accounts for a significant share of total operating expenses, analysts say profitability on many domestic routes has been severely constrained. 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