According to the website of the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), the military government of Niger has forbidden “French aircraft” from flying across the nation’s airspace.
The airspace over Niger is “open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the airline Air France,” according to a statement released late Saturday.
“The air space would remain closed for all military, operational and other special flights, unless receiving prior authorization,” the statement added.
In August, the West African nation had announced that it was closing its airspace due to the “threat of intervention from neighboring countries,” as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted in a military intervention on July 26.
